Gay Twitter Pushes Back on 'Dancing on Ice' Tribute to The Vivienne

Fans of late drag artist The Vivienne are speaking out about the brief tribute that "Dancing on Ice" gave to the alum of the show, who was also famed as a "RuPaul's Drag Race UK" winner and who portrayed The Wicked Witch of the West in a touring production of "The Wizard of Oz."

"'Dancing on Ice' presenters Holly Willoughby and Stephen Mulhern opened Sunday's show (12 January) with a tribute to The Vivienne," UK newspaper The Independent reported, "but viewers and fans of the drag artist were disappointed by the abruptness of the message."

The account related how Willoughby addressed viewers at home at the top of the broadcast, looking into the camera and saying, "Before we move on, like us, many of you have been saddened by the tragedy of The Vivienne's passing last weekend.

"Now, they were a huge part of the show," the Independent quoted Willoughby as going on to add, "making it all the way to the final in 2023 and they'll be very sorely missed.

"Our thoughts are with The Vivienne's loved ones at this sad time. So sad."

The moment included no clips of the drag star on the ice. Fans denounced what they felt was a glancing and half-hearted gesture.

"That tribute from #DoI #DancingOnIce for #TheVivienne was absolutely disgusting," the newspaper quoted one fan posting. "No VT, no picture on the big screen... the opening dance could've been a dedication. Seemed like no feeling or care at all in that."

Another declared, "I also thought the tribute to @THEVIVIENNEUK was very poor.... the show could've put on a skate for them with the professionals in their memory."

"However, others disagreed, arguing that it was a touching and sensitive tribute given that the show is live," the Independent added.

"I don't get what's wrong with this, what more you wanted or what you expected differently?" the newspaper quoted one person as commenting. "Many past contestants who have passed after doing shows like Dancing on Ice don't get a mention at all."

Various outlets, including Parade, took note of the drag artist's groundbreaking role on the show.

"The Vivienne appeared on the competition series in 2023," Parade pointed out, "becoming the first drag performer ever to do so."

"On the other side of the UK, in Liverpool, hundreds of fans gathered to pay tribute to The Vivienne," The Mirror reported. "Buildings were lit up in green to pay tribute to the star, who played the Wicked Witch of the West in UK touring production of 'The Wizard of Oz' last year, whilst balloons were released to remember the star."

The Vivienne's family released a statement, which was read aloud at the event in Liverpool, where the Welsh-born drag icon grew up.

"As a family we are completely overwhelmed by the outpouring of love for James, The Vivienne," a friend of the family, Bobby Musker, read from the statement, The Mirror relayed.

"From an early age it was evident they were destined for the stage... they were determined to pave his own way in this world," Musker went on to read. "The road was not easy but the dream never, ever changed and James would always tell us that they would make it happen and they did. We will miss you for an eternity and for an eternity we will all love you."

Drag stars from across the world paid tribute of their own to The Vivienne, a British performer whose real name was James Lee Williams, at RuPaul's DragCon UK, The Guardian relayed.

The tragedy is tinged with the stain of the bigoted hate that was directed at The Vivienne. The Guardian recalled that The Vivienne's "final television appearance was on the Boxing Day edition of 'Blankety Blank,' after which they received abuse online for appearing on the BBC One gameshow in drag."

Another "Drag Race UK" champion, Danny Beard, spoke out against the way right-wing populists have targeted drag queens and transgender people with smears and demonization.

"There's this real rightwing vile propaganda at the moment, and I feel that drag queens get the thin edge of the wedge when it comes to transphobia," The Guardian quoted Beard as saying.

Beard pointed out a crucial difference between performers in their line of work and transgender people: "I get to put this on and take it off, but our trans brothers and sisters can't."

Another "Drag Race UK" winner, Ginger Johnson, agreed, telling The Guardian, "There's a lot of love out there but there's also so much hate. I think there's this weird conversation at the moment that's just a recycling of homophobia from three decades ago, trying to paint drag as this dangerous or disgusting thing.

"It's just identity politics really," Johnson added, "and it's anger over nothing. They speak about drag but don't know anything about it. They don't know the transformative power of it. They don't know how it changes peoples lives, and they don't know how it saves peoples lives."

The Daily Mail reported that another attendee of DragCon UK, Baga Chipz, offered a novel idea for how to commemorate The Vivienne, saying that "Drag Race UK" should no longer feature drag queens in competition but become a clips show devoted to The Vivienne from here on out.

'That would be so much better," Baga Chipz, who was a fellow competitor on Season 1 of "Drag Race UK" and a close friend of The Vivienne, said. "We should just watch that."

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