DAVID Ludford is the ex-husband of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Series One winner The Vivienne.
Sadly, on January 5, 2025, The Vivienne’s publicist revealed that the beloved drag queen had passed away prompting David to release an emotional statement.
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Meeting The Vivienne
David met The Vivienne (real name James Lee Williams) in August, 2017, in Gran Canaria.
According to David, the pair “clicked straight away” and knew that they were “going to be together for a long time”.
During their relationship, the couple found that they shared a love for drag as David ran wig company, Drag Helmet Wigs.
They tied the knot in 2019 in a London nightclub and were together for seven years, before splitting in 2023.
The Vivienne’s tragic death
Sadly, on January 5, 2025, news broke that The Vivienne passed away.
The star had become a beloved face on our screens after she won the very first season of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, which was hosted by the eponymous drag superstar and Michelle Visage.
On the show, The Vivienne was known for her quick-witted humour and high-fashion looks which wowed both Michelle and RuPaul, as well as recurring judges Alan Carr and Graham Norton.
The Vivienne’s publicist Simon Jones shared the news that the TV star had passed away on social media.
He said: “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.”
Simon added: “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.”
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Beacon to many
David issued a statement about his ex-husband’s death shortly after the news broke online.
He took to Facebook to say that The Vivienne made him “feel love” and showed him “what it was really like to love someone”.
David added that he felt like a “tit” for feeling upset, because they had been divorced for over a year by the time of The Vivienne’s death.
However, he said that they “loved each other so much” and that nothing would “take” that feeling away.
Drag Race star Michelle Visage joined David in sharing a tribute to The Vivienne on social media.
She described the drag queen as a “beacon to so many” and recalled seeing the TV personality make her West End debut.
Other celebrities including Perrie Edwards and Ashley Roberts also paid tribute to the star.