The BBC is set to air a documentary spotlighting the life and legacy of the late Drag Race UK winner The Vivienne.
Produced by World of Wonder, the production company behind the Drag Race franchise, Dear Viv will premiere on 28 August on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer, and will also be available internationally via WOW Presents Plus.
The Vivienne – born James Lee Williams – tragically passed away in January 2025 following a cardiac arrest, which was reported to be caused by the effects of ketamine.
The hour-long film will explore The Vivienne’s trailblazing legacy within the Drag Race universe, including her historic win as the inaugural Drag Race UK champion and her return as the first international queen to compete on a U.S. season: All Stars 7, the franchise’s first-ever all-winners edition.
The documentary is also expected to celebrate her wider contributions to entertainment, from making history as the first drag performer to compete on Dancing on Ice to her West End debut as the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz.
Directed by Pete Williams, a producer on WOW’s long-running UNHhhh series, Dear Viv will include interviews with the star’s loved ones, including the following Drag Race stars: Baga Chipz, Blu Hydrangea, Cheryl Hole, Crystal, Danny Beard, Michael Marouli, Monét X Change, Raja, Tia Kofi and Trinity the Tuck.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, World of Wonder co-founder Fenton Bailey explained the importance of having the aforementioned queens involved as “relationships that form on the show are real and continue in real life”.
“The queens who were with Viv on Drag Race, you are in a fishbowl together for a protracted period of time,” he said.
“Yes, it’s a competition, [but] the camaraderie and the bonding that happens in the workroom is really extraordinary. … It just seem[ed like] who better than to talk about The Viv than other queens from Drag Race? It’s a real community, a very strong community.”
BBC
Additionally, the documentary will feature archival clips from The Vivienne’s appearances on Drag Race UK season one and All Stars 7. It will also address the circumstances surrounding her death, particularly in light of her sister Chanel Williams becoming an outspoken advocate against ketamine use in the months since.
Bailey said: “I think it’s really important not to shy away from that, not only because there wasn’t anyone more full of life than The Viv, … but I think it’s important for people to know that the dangers of drugs. There’s no judgment here at all.
“But I think there is no harm in telling the truth, and I also believe Viv would really want that. Viv would not want us to hide anything.”
Bailey added that he hopes the documentary will leave fans feeling “inspired”: “When I think of The Viv, I just think of this sort of bright light, and I get this warm feeling.
“And I think that’s what I would love anyone who watches this film to feel touched by and feel that as they go about their life, whatever they’re doing, drag queen or not, that they have a little bit of a lift, or a tiger in the tank, because that was Viv.
“And as sad as it is that The Viv was taken from us so young, oh my God, how much she gave people. It’s just unbelievable. Personally, I hope that wherever she is, The Viv gets to see this film [in] some way, shape or form. And I hope that she would love it as much as we loved her, as much as we do love her.”
Click here to see tributes to The Vivienne and fans celebrating her most iconic pop culture moments.
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