LAST GOODBYE
Jade Thirlwall, Kim Woodburn & ‘H’ from Steps lead mourners at Drag Race star The Vivienne’s funeral after death aged 32
Mourners looked sombre as they arrived at the ceremony in North Wales
MOURNERS have gathered at the funeral of the UK Drag Race Star The Vivienne.
A range of stars were spotted attending the poignant service including singer Jade Thirlwall, Steps artist Ian “H” Watkins and TV personality Kim Woodburn.
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Mourners looked somber as they visited St Margaret's Church, in Denbighshire, north Wales.
Brookside star Jennifer Ellison, fellow actress Claire Sweeney, celebrity chef Jameson Stocks and former JLS member Aston Merrygold were also in attendance.
The crown and sceptre The Vivienne won on Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK were carried into the church.
The Vivienne's coffin, topped with a white floral arrangement, arrived at the church in a horse-drawn carriage.
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Floral tributes in another hearse read "Vivienne" and "Son".
Other flower arrangements included one made up of purple flowers in the shape of a witch's hat as a nod to the Vivienne's performance as the Wicked Witch of the West in a UK and Ireland tour of The Wizard Of Oz musical.
They had reprised the role in the West End at the Gillian Lynne Theatre last year.
James Lee Williams, known to millions of fans as The Vivienne, was famous for winning the first series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK and coming third in ITV’s Dancing On Ice in 2023.
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They tragically died on January 5 2025 aged 32.
News of James' death was confirmed by their publicist Simon Jones in a post shared to social media.
Born and raised in North Wales, James moved to Liverpool at 16 years old and flourished in the drag scene where they took on a name inspired by fashion designer Vivienne Westwood.
The drag performer was seen on Blankety Blank - previously hosted by drag legend Lily Savage - only days ago for the Christmas special.
Their publicist Simon Jones wrote in a statement on Sunday: "It is with immense sadness that we let you know our beloved James Lee Williams – The Vivienne, has passed this weekend.
"James was an incredibly loved, warm-hearted, and amazing person."
"Their family are heartbroken at the loss of their son, brother, and uncle.
"They are so proud of the wonderful things James achieved in their life and career.
"We will not be releasing any further details.
"We please ask that James’s family are given the time and privacy they now need to process and grieve."
Since their death, a friend of the Vivienne opened up about the abuse the drag queen suffered just days before the tragedy.
It's believed the Drag Race star had passed away a day or two before their body was found by their father.
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Although a cause of death has not yet been given, police have confirmed they found "no suspicious circumstances".
Britain's Got Talent drag queen Myra DuBois, whose real name is Gareth Joyner, hit back at those who "bombarded" The Vivienne with abuse in their final weeks.
Myra urged people to "challenge transphobia when they encounter it".
Taking to Instagram, BGT semi-finalist Myra wrote: "I don't know how The Vivienne left us, and I will be respecting the family request for privacy by not trying to find out, or by fuelling rumours.
"I do know that after appearing on Blankety Blank over Christmas they were bombarded with a slew of homophobic abuse.
"I also know that the comments sections on posts announcing their passing are filling up with comments like 'one less' and 'rest in hell'. I need you to know this. I want you to acknowledge this.
"To me, to your colleagues, to your family. I want you to acknowledge it when there are no LGBTQ+ people in the room with you.
"You can't just post how sad you are when LGBTQ+ people die. I want you to ask if you're doing everything you can to keep all LGBTQ+ people alive."
Meanwhile, The Vivienne's RuPaul Drag Race co-star Crystal wrote in about the homophobic abuse their "effortlessly funny, whip-smart" friend was subjected to before their death.
Crystal wrote: "It has shocked me. Losing a friend so young is a real gut punch – it doesn't feel real. But the shock and sadness is heightened because I know her final days were spent on the receiving end of abuse and homophobia."
The Vivienne won the first series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK in 2019.
But since 2016, they had appeared on a number of TV shows and films including Just Tattoo of Us, The Big Fat Quiz Of The Year, Celebrity Juice and Trump In Tweets.
In 2021, The Vivienne appeared on The Weakest Link and Apocalypse Wow after impressing on The Great British Sewing Bee at the end of 2020.
They also co-hosted All-Star Dance Off with comedian Steen Raskopoulos.
And in March 2023 they competed on ITV’s Dancing On Ice with partner Colin Grafton.
The Vivienne's other appearances on television included Celebrity Hunted, Emmerdale and Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway.
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The performer said moving to Gran Canaria and meeting husband David Ludford changed their life for the better.
But in April 2023, the couple announced their separation.
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