Inside RuPaul's secret struggle after The Vivienne's death and plans big Drag Race change

RuPaul is said to be devastated by the loss of The Vivienne, who passed away at the age of 32, and is considering stepping down from his presenting duties

RuPaul has been devastated by the loss of The Vivienne – and is considering making a major change to Drag Race UK.

The Vivienne rose to fame on the hit show back in 2019, which they won. Four years later, they passed away at the age of 32. RuPaul was devastated by their loss – and is now considering making a change to any future series of the show.

Dancing On Ice star The Vivienne's sad death was announced on Sunday in a statement shared by publicist and friend Simon Jones. It read: "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. We will not be releasing any further details."

They added: "We please ask that James's family are given the time and privacy they now need to process and grieve."

Now it has been reported that RuPaul is planning to make changes to the next series of the UK version of the hit show. RuPaul is said to be "weighing up his own future", and is happy to leave the show in the hands of his co-presenters; Michelle Visage, Alan Carr and Graham Norton.

A source told the Mail Online: "This has come like a bolt out of the blue for Ru. The Vivienne was one of his brightest stars and everyone knows what a soft spot he had for them.

"He has been left absolutely devastated by their passing and is now weighing up his own future. Ru is now seriously considering standing down from hosting the UK franchise, which will always be associated with The Viv."

RuPaul didn't post about The Vivienne's death for over 24 hours, which initially had fans seething – but sources now claim RuPaul was "absolutely devastated" by the loss and wanted to choose his words carefully.

He wrote on Instagram: "With a broken heart, I join the entire Drag Race universe in mourning the loss of The Vivienne – an incredibly talented queen and a lovely human being."  In a heartbreaking and candid admission, The Vivienne previously opened up about their life before the show. 

They said: "It was party, drugs, but I couldn’t leave the drugs at the party. It was constant for me. When people say, 'You’ve got to hit rock bottom to get further,' it sounds so stupid but it’s the truth. I had to be kicked out of my house and told that I would be dead by the time I was 30. It was the loneliest part of my life, I was killing myself… and my family don’t even know. I could’ve been dead now if I didn’t do anything about it."

The Vivienne was being lined up for Celebrity Big Brother in March, sources claim, and had recently had a number of successful stints on the stage including as the Wicked Witch of the West in the Wizard of Oz and the Childcatcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

RuPaul is expected to attend the Drag Con UK this weekend alongside pal Michelle Visage, and the pair are said to be planning a special tribute at the convention to remember and celebrate The Vivienne's life.

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