The Vivienne’s life took a dramatic turn when they met their former spouse. The renowned drag queen, who gained fame on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK in 2019, tragically passed away at 32 over the weekend, as confirmed by their publicist on Sunday evening.
PR expert Simon Jones described The Vivienne, whose real name was James Lee Williams, as an “incredibly loved, warm-hearted and amazing person”.
The star made history as the first drag queen to compete on Dancing On Ice, finishing third in the 2023 series, and also had their own BBC series, The Vivienne Takes on Hollywood, and made a guest appearance on ITV soap Emmerdale.
The Vivienne is survived by their loved ones, including their heartbroken ex-partner, David Ludford. David, who owns a company selling wigs for drag queens called Drag Helmet Wigs, shared a heartfelt tribute on Facebook shortly after the news broke online, reports the Mirror.
He wrote: “This man changed my life so much from the day we first met in August 2017 in Gran Canaria!!” He said they “clicked straight away” and had a “whirlwind” romance. David said James made him “feel love” and showed him “what it was really like to love someone”.
He added: “You will always have a place in my heart. Going to miss you more than people will ever know. Sleep tight angel.”
David and James made history as the first couple to get married at London’s famous gay club, Heaven, in December 2019. James took to Instagram at the time, expressing gratitude: “This has been the most amazing day. I cannot thank @Jeremy_Joseph (club owner) enough. You’ve made it amazing.”
David was a constant pillar of support for James throughout The Vivienne’s bustling drag career, with James crediting David for helping them overcome a drug addiction and achieve sobriety.
In 2017, The Vivienne took a decisive step towards recovery by moving to Gran Canaria, following a struggle with ketamine addiction while working in Liverpool’s club scene. “Some guys I knew from Gran Canaria asked me to do a gig in Pride,” they revealed to The Mirror in 2023.
“I did it, I was there for a week and I felt like myself, and I hadn’t touched anything for a week.”
While the star had sought help from an NHS centre in Liverpool, it was the move to Spain and meeting future husband, David – a waiter at Sparkles Show Bar in Las Palmas – that truly transformed their life. Tony Oliver, who managed Sparkles, said: “She wanted to have a break from Liverpool because she wanted to get away from the drugs, so asked if she could come out for a year and work with us. She really mucked in and was fabulous.”
The Vivienne, a well-known figure in the drag community, offered some hard-hitting advice for those battling addiction. She said: “Just sort it out. It might be fun in the moment… I don’t like to sugar-coat things: you’re probably going to have an absolute ball. But not everyone is blessed to be able to put it down at the end of the party and not touch it for two months and go, ‘Oh, do you know what, I’ll do a bit of that tonight’. Some people get fully addicted.
“And then your health starts declining, your bank account empties, you have to cut friends off. It’s not a good place to be. Get advice. There are so many people willing to help. You worry people are going to go, ‘Eww, get away!’ But the biggest reaction is always wanting to help. My dad’s exact words were, ‘You d******d – I wish you’d told me! ‘ He found [out] off Drag Race.”
In April 2023, James and David decided to part ways after five and a half years together. Confirming their split on Instagram, The Vivienne wrote: “As many may have noticed, David and I have been apart recently. We have made the decision to part ways after an amazing five and a half years. We are still very much friends, but sometimes life gets in the way and people grow apart. We wish each the absolute best and will always be part of each others lives. We’d ask that you please respect our privacy at this time. Thank you. James and David.”
Get the latest celebrity gossip and telly news sent straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily Showbiz newsletter here.