JADE and JLS’ Aston Merrygold had been among the many mourners on the funeral of former Drag Race UK winner The Vivienne on Monday (January 27).
The star – actual identify James Lee Willilams – was discovered useless on January 5 on the age of 32 at their residence in Cheshire. Police later confirmed that there have been no suspicious circumstances round their passing.
The service was held at a church in Bodelwyddan, Denbighshire in North Wales and noticed a lot of The Vivienne’s pals in attendance, together with former Little Combine star JADE and JLS singer Aston Merrygold, in addition to Ian ‘H’ Watkins of Steps, Coronation Road star Claire Sweeney, comic Jayde Adams, former Atomic Kitten singer Kerry Katona, actress Jennifer Ellison and TV character Kim Woodburn.
A horse-drawn carriage carried a coffin with a white floral association and tributes studying ‘Vivienne’, ‘James’ and ‘Son’.
The Vivienne was the winner of the primary season of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK in 2019, having already risen to prominence in 2015 after turning into the UK Drag Ambassador for the American sequence.
Williams, who was born in Wales, additionally got here third on the 2023 sequence of Dancing On Ice, and was additionally identified for his or her function within the musical model of The Wizard Of Oz.
A vigil was held for The Vivienne on January 12 exterior Liverpool’s St. George’s Corridor, with the venue being lit up in inexperienced whereas crowds carried out a transferring rendition of ‘Someplace Over The Rainbow’.
Publicist Simon Jones, who initially confirmed The Vivienne’s loss of life, paid tribute to the late star through the ceremony too.
“I’ll bear in mind The Vivienne as being a very kind-hearted, pretty particular person in addition to being probably the most wonderful expertise,” Jones stated.
“What I cherished probably the most about The Vivienne was that she made me snigger the entire time. There’s actually nobody who has made me snigger as a lot as Viv, whether or not that was at a present the place she was studying the viewers… or after we had been going for lunch or dinner or hanging out.
“There was at all times a fast one-liner and one thing a bit savage. She was at all times hilarious and I’m actually going to overlook that. She introduced a lot love and heat into my life.”
Williams’ ex-husband David Ludford additionally paid tribute earlier this month, writing: “My coronary heart actually sank once I obtained the decision!! My coronary heart is shattered!!! By no means in one million years did I believe I’d ever be writing something like this”. He would go on to explain his former accomplice as an “angel”. The couple divorced in 2023 after six years collectively.
