When RuPaul met The Vivienne

The star rose to international fame after winning RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Season 1 in 2019, bringing the art of drag performances to more than 60 million BBC TV viewers.

Supported by RuPaul, the show’s host, The Vivienne enjoyed a hugely successful career, not only becoming the first drag performer to compete in TV talent show Dancing on Ice but also releasing several hit pop singles.

Sadly, the artist’s life was cut tragically short by a cardiac arrest in January 2025, leaving family members devastated and fans mourning the loss of a rising star at the pinnacle of their international career. RuPaul has since spoken of his heartbreak at the loss of his friend and protege, describing The Vivienne as “an incredibly talented queen and a lovely human being” in a tribute on social media.

Early life and career

Born James Lee Williams in April 1992 in Colwyn Bay, Wales, The Vivienne moved to Liverpool at 16 to become a makeup artist. Also launching a drag career, their stage name came about as a result of wearing avant-garde clothing by designer Vivienne Westwood. In an interview, the artist explained, “Everyone used to call me Vivienne, as I was head to toe in Westwood. When I started doing drag, it was a natural progression.”

The Vivienne drag queen persona debuted with a successful show at Pink nightclub in Liverpool, followed by gigs at Superstar Boudoir and other city venues. They were described as “unapologetically unique and hilariously straight talking, with something more: pizzazz”.

The first meeting between RuPaul and The Vivienne took place in May 2015 at the Cafe de Paris nightclub in London, at a one-day drag contest. The judges’ panel of RuPaul, television host Jonathan Ross and former model Katie Price voted The Vivienne “UK Drag Ambassador” for RuPaul’s Drag Race.

A world-famous drag queen, singer, television host, producer, actor and writer, California-born RuPaul Andre Charles, now 64, has been called the most famous drag queen on the planet. He launched the iconic Drag Race TV show in the USA in 2009 and has won many accolades including 14 Primetime Emmy Awards, three GLAAD Media Awards, two Billboard Music Awards and more.

The international icon, known for his straight talking and versatility, has also performed in acting roles as a man and is billed as RuPaul Charles, his birth name. He’s famous for having revealed his indifference towards gender-specific pronouns, saying, “”You can call me he. You can call me she. I don’t care.” He has also released a number of hit records including the debut album, Supermodel of the World, in 1992, which topped the US Billboard Magazine Heatseekers charts.

The Vivienne Drag Race UK

On first meeting The Vivienne in London, RuPaul realised he was witnessing a special talent and flew the artist to the US to make a cameo appearance on the eighth series of his show in March 2016. As UK ambassador for RuPaul’s Drag Race, The Vivienne was a massive hit in the States, their flamboyant style and witty personality wowing audiences. The two artists formed a firm bond over the next three years, based on friendship and mutual respect, as The Vivienne rose to fame guided by RuPaul’s support and industry experience.

The UK version of Drag Race made its debut in October 2019 on BBC Three, when ten competitors took part in a series of demanding challenges. These included making their own costumes, runway modelling, singing and dancing, comedy sketches, lip-synching and the legendary Snatch Game, where they played parodies of famous people.

The Vivienne stood out with superstar qualities, according to judge Michelle Visage, who paid tribute after the star’s passing. Describing their performance as “the best Snatch Game character in the history of the show”, she adored their impression of US President Donald Trump, complete with a floppy blonde wig, orange makeup and permanently pouted lips. The hilarious repartee between The Vivienne’s President Trump and fellow contestant Baga Chipz’ character, former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, has gone down in the show’s history as the most iconic battle ever.

After storming to victory as RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 1 winner, The Vivienne had a massive influence in the drag community, their career in the world of television flourishing as a result.

Television career

The Vivienne went on to compete in the 2019 series Jag Race, where drag artists raced sports cars, in collaboration with Attitude magazine and Jaguar, to raise money for charity. The Vivienne donated the proceeds to local Liverpool charity, Sahir House, to help people living with HIV.

As 2019 drew to a close, the star embarked on the three-month Drag Race UK national tour, alongside other competitors including Baga Chipz, where they reprised their famous Snatch Game routine as Donald Trump and Margaret Thatcher. The Vivienne also took part in a spoof TV news show, Morning T&T, which parodied Good Morning Britain and Good Morning America.

The artist was snapped up for a new six-part series, The Vivienne Takes on Hollywood, by American production company World of Wonder, which premiered in April 2020 on BBC Three. After producing a music video while travelling around Los Angeles, The Vivienne made a guest appearance on ITV’s long-running soap opera, Emmerdale, in 2021, in a special Pride episode. This was followed by an appearance in C4’s Celebrity Hunted in aid of the Stand Up to Cancer charity.

The friendship and professional relationship between Vivienne and RuPaul continued to thrive when they worked together again in 2022 on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars series.

Dancing on Ice

Then, in October 2022, The Vivienne became the first drag queen to compete on ITV’s reality show, Dancing on Ice, where celebrities partner professional skaters and learn complex ice-dance routines. Figure skater Colin Grafton, The Vivienne Dancing on Ice partner, guided the duo to third place, thanks to stunning routines performed to Dolly Parton’s Jolene and Strong Enough by Cher. On learning of the artist’s tragic death, US professional skater Grafton said his friend was a “true icon in every sense of the word”, inspiring “thousands of people far and wide with everything they did” and giving “many people hope where there was none.”

The Vivienne also enjoyed a successful pop career, releasing their debut dance single, Tonight, in May 2020, combining soaring vocals with thumping bass. They also covered Dead or Alive’s massive 1984 disco hit, You Spin Me Round, in October 2020 and recorded a duet of Jingle Bell Rock with fellow British drag queen Tia Kofi in November 2021.

The Vivienne’s last TV appearance was on 26th December 2024 in the Christmas special of legendary UK television panel show, Blankety Blank, alongside other celebrities including Jonathan Ross and Strictly Come Dancing star Oti Mabuse.

Following the tragic news of The Vivienne’s untimely death on 5th January 2025, RuPaul was among the first to pay tribute, saying, “She will be dearly missed, but her legacy will live on as a beacon of creativity and authenticity; she embodied what it means to be a true champion.”