The Vivienne’s death could spell the end of Drag Race as RuPaul is ‘in bits’

RuPaul is so upset by The Vivienne’s death he is “seriously considering” quitting his hosting duties on his iconic show, reports today claim.

The 64-year-old host paid tribute to The Vivienne, real name James Lee Williams, after they died aged 32 on the weekend. “With a broken heart, I join the entire Drag Race universe in mourning the loss of Vivienne, a incredibly talented queen and lovely human being,” said Ru.

The Vivienne was a breakout star on RuPaul’s Drag Race, a BBC reality series where drag queens compete against host RuPaul to earn the title of his “superstar.” The Vivienne won the first British television series in 2019.

Ru has reportedly been left “in bits” by their passing and considering quitting his TV show, which has been on the BBC for five years, despite having success in the US.

According to a source, “This has suddenly struck Ru like a bolt.” Everyone who knew he had a soft spot for them knows that The Vivienne was one of his brightest stars. He is now weighing up his own future and has been completely devastated by their passing. Ru is currently seriously considering quitting as host of The Viv’s UK franchise.

Ru, from San Diego, California, did not address the tragedy for 24 hours before his emotional Instagram message. At first, the drag queen was unaffected by the crowd of tributes, which included Emmerdale actress Lisa Riley and singer Michelle Visage’s heartfelt words.

However, Ru eventually paid his respects to The Viv, which was later revealed by friends to Mail Online, leaving co-presenters Graham Norton, Alan Carr, and Michelle Visage with the remaining rights to the UK franchise. However, fans of the show are undoubtedly asking how long the show can last without its eponymous host.

Williams, who chose the name The Vivienne from a love of Vivienne Westwood clothing, struggling to make a living in the bars of Gran Canaria. So, Williams, born and raised in Colwyn Bay, north Wales, became obsessed with RuPaul and his talent show, which had launched in the US in 2009, and The Vivienne was publicly formed.

The Viv won RuPaul’s first UK series, and competed again in the seventh season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars in 2022. The Vivienne’s reputation was praised for its excellent impersonation of Donald Trump, catty putdowns, and honesty in 2019 as a whole.

However, Williams’ distraught father discovered his child’s unresponsive at home on Sunday. Cheshire Police said officers were called to an address in Chorlton-by-Backford at 12.22pm on Sunday and in an update, confirmed they had found “no suspicious circumstances”.

Source: Mirror