The Vivienne is the stage name of James Williams,[1] the Winner of Season 1 of RuPaul's Drag Race UK.
She later returned to All Stars 7, the first All Winners season of Drag Race and became the first Drag Race UK queen to compete in the US Franchise. She placed TBA.
Drag Name Origin
"I love Vivienne Westwood, and when I moved to Liverpool everyone used to call me Vivienne, as I was head to toe in Westwood, so when I started doing drag it was a natural progression, but I didn’t want one of those cheap, nasty, slutty drag names so I thought of 'The Vivienne' and here she is, there’s only one of them." The Vivienne explain about her drag name on a ITW.
Track Record(s)
Statistics | UK Season 1 | All Stars 7 |
---|---|---|
Ranking: | 1st Place (Winner) |
TBA |
Maxi Challenges Won: | 3 (Eps. 1, 4, 6) | TBA |
Mini Challenges Won: | 0 | TBA |
Times as Team Captain: | 1 (Ep. 2) | TBA |
Times in Bottom: | 1 (Ep. 5) | TBA |
Episode Eliminated: | N/A | TBA |
Entrance Quote
RuPaul's Drag Race UK Season 1
- "Don't get too comfy, girls. This isn't gonna take two minutes." *laughs*
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 7
- "Don't you just love a long, hard, stiff, competition? Sorry girls, I was feeling awfully horny."
Memorable Quotes
RuPaul's Drag Race UK Season 1
- *laugh* "You liar." (talking to RuPaul about the first Photoshoot Challenge)
- "Let's go guerls."
- "OKURRRRRR? Trademark." (as Cardi B)
- "Don't you start with me, 'cause I won't take it." (as Kim Woodburn)
- "Who put 50p in Cheryl?"
- "I haven't, this is my face!" (to Michelle Visage)
- "I won, I'm telling the girls, I rule the roost."
- "I'm gonna sell it on Ebay in 5 years." (referring to her first RuPeter Badge)
- "I'm Serena Shart. Bond's probably had a go of her, but she's probably gonna kill him."
- "Well I was having a root through a big box and found all Michelle's old sex tapes, then I found some cricket pads, and this happened." (discussing her posh on a penny look)
- "Are you local?"
- "All tea, no collusion, specially with Russia or China." (as Donald Trump in Snatch Game)
- "This woman's an inspiration. If anyone knew how to fuck up a country it was her." (to Baga Chipz as Margaret Thatcher, as Donald Trump in Snatch Game)
- "Cheryl Hole, or as you're more affectionely known, Cheryl Baggy Battered Thirsty Hole." (Reading is Fundamental)
- "I can sing, Cheryl can dance, Crystal is...skinny."
- *Cough*
- "Yeah, it was good..."
- ♪ "Cus I'm a superstar, so lets B-R-A-K... that's brak!" ♪
- ♪ "Think you can control me, when you both look like men? Don't dictate what I'm wearing, bitch, I'm The Vivienne! I do what I want to, you don't own me, I'm not your possession, you're not my cup of tea (tea, tea, huh) (bye bye, move bitch)" ♪ (verse on Break Up (Bye Bye) by Filth Harmony.)
- "I'm giving you rich Scouse girl, ladies' day, she's got a bottle of vodka in her bag and she doesn't give a shit."
- "Come on love, we haven't got all day." (as Kim Woodburn)
- "You're gonna take someone's eye out with that, my love." (as Kim Woodburn)
- "I'll be honest with you, now that I've seen you here, you are 20 times the drag queen you are in the outside world, because for the past ten years, I’ve seen Divina in a red wig and a silver dress." (refering to Divina De Campo)
- "AM DRIPPIN!"
- "Drippin': keepin' you wet and your fella made up!"
- "First things first, have you shaved ya minge?" (to her mother)
- ♪ "The Viv calling everyone, you know I'm the number one! Snatching trophies three, two, hah! I'll be your queen, oh, lady! Reigning in every land, come on now, take my hand, let's lift off to the sky, I wanna take you higher! Everybody look up to the night sky, I wanna take you to, to, to, to to the moon!" ♪ (verse on To The Moon)
- "It's been absolutely great, it's been tremendous thank you." (Winner acceptance speech, as Donald Trump)
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 7
- "You can call me "Viv" by the way, 'cause I know "The Vivienne" is a bit of a mouthful. Or, so I've been told."
- "Queen of queens has always been my future since my life found a way, hey, yeah, yeah. Gonna show what the UK's got, I'm ready to start my reign, my reign" (Vivienne's verse in 'Legends')
- "Don't touch me." (when Shea Coulée passed by her during the blocking)
- "Sorry, I've got no change, love." (When Jinkx Monsoon passed by her during the blocking.)
Trivia
- The Vivienne was the first ever queen to be confirmed as a contestant on Drag Race UK.
- She was born in Colwyn Bay, Wales, and moved to Liverpool at 16.
- She started doing drag in 2007.
- She became the UK Drag Ambassador in 2016, and as part of her prize walked the runway of RuPaul's Drag Race during the filming of Season 8 (which was released in a bonus video) and appeared in the audience for the New Wave Queens episode.
- She was the first queen to win a main challenge on Drag Race UK.
- Viv and Baga Chipz are the first to share a conjoined win on Drag Race UK.
- They are the two first winners of "Snatch Game" in the UK too.
- She is the first UK contestant to win a challenge after lip-syncing for her life in the previous episode.
- She is the only queen from her season to lip-sync twice and not be eliminated.
- She is the first UK queen to never place SAFE.
- She is the third in RuPaul's Drag Race herstory to make it to the finale while not placing SAFE. The first being Nina Flowers — Runner-Up from Season 1 — and the second being Brooke Lynn Hytes — Runner-Up from Season 11. This makes her the first winner to never place SAFE on a non-All Stars season.
- She was later followed by Lawrence Chaney, who won UK Season 2.
- She got married on December 15th, 2019.
- She released her first single, "Tonight" in 2020, which started a TikTok challenge called #TheVivienneDanceChallenge. Her fellow Drag Race UK cast members, Cheryl Hole and Blu Hydrangea, as well as Little Mix's Jade Thirlwall, and The Pussycat Dolls' Ashley Roberts, have all made videos for the challenge.
- The Vivienne is the first international queen and British queen to be on The Pit Stop.
- The Vivienne guest hosted the Fashion Photo RuView episodes for UK Season 2 with Raja, becoming the first British queen to appear in the series.
- As part of her prize for winning Drag Race UK Season 1, World of Wonder produced the BBC Three digital series The Vivienne Takes On Hollywood, which followed her as she rehearsed and prepared for the release of her first single "Tonight". The series featured a special cameo appearance from Chad Michaels.
- The Vivienne stars in the Netflix UK YouTube web series I Like to Watch UK where she (in a similar vein to Trixie Mattel and Katya's American version) reacts to Netflix content with guests that have included Baga Chipz, Cheryl Hole, Monét X Change, Lawrence Chaney, and Tia Kofi. Programmes they have reacted to include Tiger King, Absolutely Fabulous, Sex Education, Special, and Too Hot To Handle.
- The Vivienne revealed on I Like to Watch UK that her hair out of drag during Season 1 of Drag Race UK was actually a toupee.
- The Vivienne is the first queen of Romani descent to compete on any series of the Drag Race franchise.
- This makes her the first winner of Romani descent.
- The Vivienne is the first queen to compete on Drag Race UK then appear on a US All Stars Season.
- The Vivienne is the least followed queen on the All Stars 7 cast.
Gallery
RuPaul's Drag Race Season 8
RuPaul's Drag Race Season 8 Looks
RuPaul's Drag Race UK Season 1
RuPaul's Drag Race UK Season 1
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 7
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 7 Looks
Videos
Discography
Appearances/Features
Year | Title | Artwork | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2019 | "Break Up (Bye Bye)" | ![]() |
as Filth Harmony |
2019 | "To the Moon" | ![]() |
by RuPaul feat. The Cast of RuPaul's Drag Race |
2022 | "We Werk Together" | ![]() |
by Ant & Dec, The Vivienne, Lawrence Chaney & Krystal Versace |
Filmography
TV
- Transformations, as The Vivienne (Special Guest). (2015)
- RuPaul's Drag Race Season 8, Episode 4 (as audience member) (2016)
- Absolutely Fabulous: Le Film, as The Vivienne (Featured Drag Artist). (2016)
- RuPaul's Drag Race UK Season 1, as Winner, placed 1st. (2019)
- The Big Fat Quiz of the Year as The Vivienne (2019)
- RuPaul's Drag Race Season 12, Episode 1 (as Donald Trump) (2020)
- Celebrity Juice (Series 23 and 24) as Panellist, 2 episodes (2020)
- Trump in Tweets as Donald Trump Voice-Over (2020)
- The Great British Sewing Bee Christmas Special as Contestant (2020)
- Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, as themselves. (2022)
- Glow Up Does Red Nose Day as Runner-Up, placed 2nd/3rd. (2020)
Web Series
- Morning T&T (with Baga Chipz) as Donald Trump (2019-20)
- I Like To Watch UK (with Baga Chipz , Cheryl Hole and Monét X Change) (2020-present)
- The Vivienne Takes on Hollywood (BBC Three digital series) (2020)
- God Shave the Queens (World of Wonder docuseries) (2020)
- Trump Learns Things (as Donald Trump) (2020)
- The Pit Stop as Guest (All Stars 5 Episode 3) (2020)
- Fashion Photo RuView as Guest Host (UK Season 2) (2021)
Social Media
- The Vivienne's Site | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
- The Vivienne on Youtube | Wikipedia | IMDB
- The Vivienne's Spotify Playlist
ITW
Winner | The Vivienne |
---|---|
Runners-Up | 2nd: Divina De Campo • 3rd: Baga Chipz |
Other Queens | 4th: Cheryl Hole • 5th: Blu Hydrangea (Miss Congeniality) • 6th: Crystal • 7th: Sum Ting Wong • 8th: Vinegar Strokes • 9th: Scaredy Kat • 10th: Gothy Kendoll |
Judges | RuPaul • Michelle Visage • Alan Carr • Graham Norton |
Brit Crew | Archie • AJ Bediako • Ashraf Ejjabair • Matt Lister • Mitch Marion • Tom Scanlon • Niko Wirachman |
Winner | TBA |
---|---|
Runner-Up | TBA |
Other Queens | Jaida Essence Hall • Jinkx Monsoon • Monét X Change • Raja • Shea Couleé • The Vivienne • Trinity The Tuck • Yvie Oddly |
Judges | RuPaul • Michelle Visage • Carson Kressley • Ross Mathews |
Pit Crew | TBA |
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Vivienne: Everything about the first winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK | Film Daily — November 23, 2020
- ↑ ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race UK’ Queens Tease Campy, Filthy Spinoff Series | Decider — September 25, 2019
- ↑ See Drag Race winners reunite in EW's stunning All Stars 7 portraits | Entertainment Weekly — April 26, 2022