The Vivienne’s family tell vigil ‘we’re so proud’

The family of drag icon The Vivienne said they “brought the sparkle to life” and will be missed “for eternity” during an emotional vigil in Liverpool on Sunday night.

Hundreds gathered on the steps of St George’s Hall to pay their respects to the TV star, also known as James Lee Williams, who died last week aged 32.

The landmark was lit up in green to honour The Vivienne’s role in Wizard of Oz and crowds swayed with their phone torches shining to a moving rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow.

The Vivienne was catapulted to fame after winning the first series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK in 2019.

“As a family we are completely overwhelmed by the outpouring of love for James, The Vivienne,” the family said in a statement read by The Vivienne’s friend Bobby Musker.

The family paid tribute to a “son, brother, uncle and true icon”.

“From an early age it was evident he was destined for the stage… he was determined to pave his own way in this world,” they said.

“The road was not easy but the dream never, ever changed and James would always tell us that they would make it happen and they did.”

The family said they were “so unbelievably proud of everything they achieved”.

“We will miss you for an eternity and for an eternity we will all love you,” they said.

Shortly before the statement was read, The Vivienne’s young niece Isabella took the microphone.

“Thank you for being here to celebrate my uncle,” she said to the crowd. “I love you Uncle James.”

Crowds heard performances from Joey & the Hot Tub Boys, who sang Heart of Stone by Cher and Heroes by David Bowie, and speeches from a host of friends and colleagues.

Danny Beard, winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK series four, called The Vivienne a “truly larger than life” character who could “never be confined by the ordinary”.

They described them as a “shining beacon of light for the LGBT community”.

“The performances weren’t just acts, they were celebrations of life,” they said.

“They taught us it was OK to live out loud.”

The vigil was organised with the help of Sahir House, Liverpool’s oldest LGBTQ+ charity. The Vivienne was an ambassador of the charity.

The Vivienne’s publicist and friend Simon Jones told the BBC: “I will remember The Vivienne as being a really kind-hearted, lovely person as well as being the most amazing talent.

“What I loved the most about The Vivienne was that she made me laugh the whole time.

“There is literally no one who has made me laugh as much as Viv, whether that was at a show where she was reading the audience… or when we were going for lunch or dinner or hanging out.

“There was always a quick one-liner and something a bit savage.

“She was always hilarious and I’m really going to miss that. She brought so much love and warmth into my life.”

Presenter Holly Willoughby paid tribute to drag queen The Vivienne after an opening performance by the professional skaters on ITV series Dancing On Ice on Saturday night.

The programme started with a display of lifts and jumps from the figure skaters, who were dressed in pink, blue and yellow.

After Willoughby welcomed viewers to the new series, she added: “Before we move on, like us, many of you will have been saddened by the tragic news of The Vivienne’s passing last weekend.

“Now they were a huge part of our show, making it all the way to the final in 2023.

“They’ll be very sorely missed and our thoughts are with The Vivienne’s loved ones at this time. So sad.”

After winning the first series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, The Vivienne became the only contestant from the UK series to compete in the American series when they took part in All Stars 7 in 2022.

They went on to become a household name through appearances on other TV shows including Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, Dancing on Ice and Emmerdale.

The Vivienne’s death led to an outpouring of grief from the LGBTQ+ community and beyond.

On Friday, DragCon UK, a convention for fans of Drag Race, was attended by most of the show’s contestants.

Host RuPaul Charles paid tribute to The Vivienne during the opening ceremony of the event, saying he wanted to focus on “love”.

He said: “We are going to remember our dear The Vivienne, with love, life, and that’s what she was all about.

“She would love for you to live your lives and to be free and to have a lot of fun and to spread it around, isn’t that right?”

Other high profile names to pay tribute included Drag Race judge Michelle Visage and singer and actor Arianna Grande.

The Vivienne was raised in Colwyn Bay on the north coast of Wales.

They attended private school Rydal Penrhos but dropped out aged 16 to move to Liverpool and become a make-up artist.

They later went on to live and perform in Gran Canaria. A vigil was held on the Spanish island at the same time as the Liverpool event.