Culture

Drag Race: RuPaul honours The Vivienne during a heartwarming speech at DragCon UK

By Jordan Robledo

11th January 2025

RuPaul honoured The Vivienne during the opening of DragCon UK 2025.

On 10 January, the beloved drag expo kicked off its two-day extravaganza at the ExCel London convention centre.

Like in previous years, the event featured showstopping performances, gagworthy reunions, meet-and-greets, and sickening, one-of-a-kind merchandise.

However, before attendees could sink their teeth into the DragCon UK festivities, RuPaul delivered a heartwarming speech honouring the late drag performer The Vivienne.

“We want to focus on love, and we are going to remember our dear The Vivienne with love, life, and happiness because that’s what she was all about,” Ru said to the packed crowd.

“She would love for you to live your lives, to be free, to have a lot of fun and to spread it around.”

It didn’t take long for fans to flock to social media to celebrate Ru’s heartfelt speech and honour The Vivienne’s life.

One fan on X, formerly known as Twitter, wrote, “I was there, and it was incredibly moving, especially when all the season 1 queens were on stage. The Vivienne will forever be our first queen.”

Another person tweeted: “I still can’t believe it. It seems so unreal without her. Fuck.”

In addition to Ru’s heartfelt tribute, the event also featured a memorial booth for The Vivienne, where attendees could pay tribute to the beloved talent and share condolences.

News of The Vivienne’s tragic passing was first announced on 5 January by her publicist, Simon Jones.

“It is with immense sadness that we let you know our beloved James Lee Williams – The Vivienne, has passed this weekend,” Jones said in a statement on social media.

“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.”

Jones’ post was met with shock and sadness from thousands of fans, celebrities and Drag Race alumni such as Ashley Roberts, Bianca Del Rio, Bimini, Bosco, Crystal, Harriet Rose, Jonbers Blonde, Kitty Scott-Claus, Marisha Wallace, Michelle Visage and Tayce.

RuPaul also joined “the entire Drag Race universe in mourning the loss of The Vivienne,” whom he described on Instagram as an “incredibly talented queen and a lovely human being.”

The Vivienne rose to fame in 2019 as the winner of the first-ever season of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK. Three years later, she made an iconic return for All Stars 7, the franchise’s first winners’ season, making history as the first international contestant to crossover to the U.S. series.

In addition to becoming one of the most popular queens in the Drag Race franchise, she made waves for her work in other TV series such as I Like to Watch UK, Celebrity Juice, Celebrity Mastermind, Celebrity Karaoke Club and Emmerdale.

Lastly, in 2023, she made TV history by competing in the 15th season of the popular celebrity ice skating series Dancing on Ice, becoming the first drag queen to do so.