Claire Sweeney and Jennifer Ellison among celebrities at The Vivienne's funeral
Celebrities came out in force to pay their respect to drag trailblazer The Vivienne. The 32-year-old’s funeral took place on Monday, January 27, weeks after the star was found dead in their own home.
The performer was laid to rest at a church in Bodelwyddan in Denbighshire, North Wales - where they are originally from. A horse-drawn carriage arrived outside the church, with the coffin inside topped with a white floral arrangement.
The tributes inside the hearse read “Vivienne” and “Son”, with a witch’s hat also made up out of purple flowers. The crown and sceptre The Vivienne won on Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK were carried into the church ahead of their coffin. Family members of the star, whose real name is James Lee Williams, followed the coffin into the church.
Among those in attendance were Steps singer Ian “H” Watkins, TV personality Kim Woodburn, singer Jade Thirlwall and X-Factor’s Marcus Collins. Fellow RuPaul’s Drag Race UK contestants Tia Kofi, Baga Chipz and Cheryl also arrived together for funeral.
Winner of the BBC show’s fourth series Danny Beard, from Halewood, wore a jacket and trousers covered with Vivienne Westwood logos. They walked to the church with actress Hayley Tamaddon, known for her role as Del Dingle in Emmerdale.
Coronation Street actress Claire Sweeney attended along with radio presenter Pete Price. Also attending was JLS’s Aston Merrygold. The singer co-stared with the drag queen in a stage production of The Wizard of Oz in London last year.
Former Brookside actress Jennifer Ellison and celebrity chef Jameson Stocks were spotted walking together outside of the church. Many wore green for the service and Vivienne Westwood badges were worn on the lapels of some of the men’s suits.
The city was heartbroken by the news of the death of the 32-year-old when it was confirmed by publicist, Simon Jones. In an emotional Instagram post, Simon explained the TV personality was more than a client to him, and had become a cherished friend.
Since the news broke on Sunday, January 5, tributes have poured in from all over the world, with a number of messages from Liverpool - the city where The Vivienne made a name for herself before being catapulted to international fame after winning the first series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK in 2019.
On Monday, January 6, Cheshire Police said officers had been called to an address in Chorlton-by-Backford, near Chester, at 12.22pm on Sunday following reports of a sudden death.
The spokesman added: “Police attended, investigated the circumstances of the death of the 32-year-old man and concluded there were no suspicious circumstances. A file will be prepared for the coroner.”