Dancing On Ice will honour The Vivienne during the ITV show’s return on Sunday following the entertainer’s death aged 32.
It was announced this weekend that James Lee Williams, known professionally as The Vivienne, had died, with publicist Simon Jones confirming the shocking news via a statement.
Fans and famous friends of theirs have been left reeling from devastation, flooding social media with heartfelt messages in their honour.
Dancing On Ice will also pay tribute to ‘trailblazer’ The Vivienne, who was the first drag artist to perform on the show, this weekend.
A source told The Sun: ‘The Vivienne was a trailblazer and was the first Drag artist to appear on Dancing On Ice.
‘ITV wants to pay their respects to them and will put out a tribute on Sunday night’s show.
‘The team working on the show loved Viv and wanted to do something to honour them.’
It comes after Drag icon RuPaul, whose full name is RuPaul Charles, took to Instagram this evening with a photo from the set of Drag Race.
Their caption read: ‘With a broken heart, I join the entire Drag Race universe in mourning the loss of The Vivienne’.
RuPaul, 64, hailed them as ‘an incredibly talented queen and a lovely human being.’
Williams’ ex-husband, David Ludford, paid tribute as well, writing that his heart ‘literally sank’ when he received the terribly sad phone call.
Ludford, a wig hairstylist, said Williams ‘changed [his] life so much’ from the day they first met in August 2017 in Gran Canaria. They married in 2019.
‘We literally clicked straight away and we knew we (were) going to be together for along time,’ Ludford wrote.
‘He made me feel love and shown me what it was really like to love someone.
‘We literally went through and did so much together, it was like a whirlwind and I wouldn’t have changed the time we spent together for anything in the world!’
The couple announced their separation in April 2023 with a joint statement that said they were ‘still very much friends’ and wished each other ‘the absolute best’.
Ludford added that they had ‘loved each other so much’ and hailed Williams as ‘the biggest part’ of his life for a long time.
He concluded: ‘6 years is such a long time to spend 24/7 with you will always always have a place in my heart.
‘Going to miss you more than people will ever know sleep tight angel.’
It comes after the likes of Dancing On Ice pro Colin Grafton also paid tribute to Williams after making history with their partnership on the show.
Williams became the first-ever drag queen to take part in the ITV skating programme in 2023, reaching the final and finishing in third place.
Taking to Instagram, Colin admitted his words were written with an ‘extraordinarily heavy heart’.
‘Viv was and is a true icon in every sense of the word, and inspired thousands of people far and wide with everything they did and accomplished,’ he wrote. ‘They truly brought light into every room they entered, and gave so many people hope where there was none. I am truly heartbroken,’ he added.
Colin continued to say: ‘I will forever cherish our time together on and off the ice, you will forever be my Mary Poppins. I promise to carry your memory with me in everything I do.’
Ariana Grande also shared her own tribute to the star via social media, posting a picture of The Vivienne, who was given the name owing to their love of Vivienne Westwood clothing, along with three hearts.
Dancing On Ice judge Oti Mabuse remembered Metro Pride award nominee Williams for being a ‘phenomenal entertainer’ and ‘trailblazer’.
Mabuse said ‘some news hits you harder than others and stops you in your tracks’ Williams’ death was shared online.
‘I absolutely loved the viv,’ the former Strictly Come Dancing star wrote alongside a picture of the pair on Instagram.
‘A beautiful human being, funny, kind, a trailblazer, creative and so warm.
‘You were such an asset on Dancing On Ice, one of the greatest on Drag Race and just a phenomenal entertainer on screen and theatre.’
Williams previously said making it to the semi-final of the competition meant a lot, ‘especially at a time when drag is under attack.’
The star performed in the same year as former EastEnders actress Patsy Palmer, who said she was ‘lost for words’ and ‘deeply saddened’ in a tribute.
‘You were so beautiful inside and out and I will never forget our experiences we shared during Dancing On Ice,’ she wrote.
‘We really loved it all didn’t we. I got to meet your beautiful family and we laughed a lot.
‘I got to watch you transform your face in your very glam dressing room mirror and we cried with it all too.
‘You became an outstanding skater and so elegant too. We were all there for each other and we all love you.’
Palmer shared pictures of the star ‘in the thick of it’ while backstage at the competition, helping fellow contestant Michelle Heaton get ready for the show.
Former Liberty X singer Heaton also shared a series of pictures with Williams from the show, captioning it ‘heartbroken.’
Screenwriter Russell T Davies wrote that, after meeting a couple of times, he found Williams to be ‘absolutely delightful.’
‘And what a talent!’, he declared. ‘On the cusp of graduating to West End stardom. What a world. Night, darling.’
Drag Race judge Michelle Visage described the performer as ‘a beacon to so many’.
Alongside pictures of them together, Visage said she is ‘heartbroken’ and lost for words.
‘My darling @thevivienne_ we go back to when I started coming over here to the UK. You were always there, always laughing, always giving, always on point.
‘Your laughter, your wit, your talent, your drag. I loved all of it but I loved your friendship most of all.’
Taking to X, Rylan Clark wrote: ‘The news about The Vivienne is so sad. What an amazing performer. Such a loss. Rest in peace gorgeous xxx’
Danny Beard wrote on Instagram that there is now ‘a piece missing’ following Williams’ death.
‘Viv was a proper entertainer, she made people she didn’t know feel like they were seen. I’ve always admired that in her. She connected with people and that’s something you can’t buy,’ they wrote in part of their message.
Jinkx Monsoon, who won the fifth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2013, said: ‘I don’t entirely have words. She has made her mark in our hearts and on her stages.’
They added on X: ‘It’s too soon for a curtain call but I know it’s a standing ovation. I love you Viv.’
Confirming Williams’ death, PR manager Jones wrote in his message: ‘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.’
The post concluded: ‘We please ask that James’s family are given the time and privacy they now need to process and grieve.’
Williams initially rose to prominence in 2015 as the UK Drag Ambassador for the American series of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
They later competed and won the first UK series of the reality show in 2019 and competed again in the seventh series, which was an All-Stars edition in 2022.
Williams also ventured into theatre, starring as The Wicked Witch of the West in 2011’s The Wizard of Oz, a role they later reprised in the West End.
Additionally, The Vivienne showcased their incredible musical talents via their debut EP, B**ch on Heels (2022).
Their other TV credits include Channel 4’s Celebrity Hunted in 2022 in aid of Stand Up to Cancer.
Williams Vivienne last appeared on screens just days ago, starring in the festive special of Blankety Blank on Boxing Day.
The drag performer was born and raised in North Wales and moved to Liverpool at 16.
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