Cherry Valentine, ‘Drag Race UK’ Star, Dead at 28

RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star George Ward, best known by his stage name Cherry Valentine, has died. Ward’s family confirmed that the beloved drag performer passed away on Sunday, Sept. 18 at the age of 28. His cause of death has not been disclosed at this time.

Describing his passing as a “profound shock,” Ward’s family shared “with the most heart wrenching and deepest sadness… that our George – Cherry Valentine – has tragically passed away.” The family acknowledged that “this will come as a profound shock to most people & we understand there is no easy way for this to be announced,” adding that “as his family, we are still processing his death and our lives will never be the same.” Ward’s family continued, “We understand how much he is loved and how many lives he has inspired and touched.” The family concluded by asking for “patience and your prayers in this time.”

Born in Darlington in the northeast of England in 1993, Ward grew up in a traveler community, where he started doing drag as a child, according to CNN. He gained fame after being cast as one of 12 contestants in the second season of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, the British version of the hit US show. He appeared in a total of six episodes of the show under his stage name Cherry Valentine, an alter-ego he described, per The Guardian, as “glamour,” “dark” and “gothic.” Before appearing on the series, Ward worked as a mental health nurse, sharing in an introductory video for the show that his work as a nurse “put me in that right position to be able to understand people a bit more… If you are a drag queen you are working with people. And to understand people I think you go the extra mile.” Following his time on Drag Race, Ward presented a BBC documentary about their life, Cherry Valentine: Gypsy Queen and Proud, in January this year.

“We are all shocked and heartbroken to hear the news of the passing of George, known to many as Cherry Valentine,” Fiona Campbell, controller of BBC Three, said in a statement. “A fan favourite and an inspiration to so many, we were privileged to have worked with him at BBC Three. He will be hugely missed by his many fans and friends. Our deepest sympathies are with his family and friends at this difficult time.”

In addition to his appearance on Drag Race, Ward also performed publicly and appeared opposite Charli XCX in the music video for her single “Good Ones.” Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, he helped with the Covid-19 vaccine rollout in 2020, keeping a video diary when the show was shut down for several months.