Drag queen George Ward, best known by his stage name Cherry Valentine, has died at the age of 28.
The performer, who appeared on the second series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, died on Sunday (18 September), his family announced.
A statement from his family was released on Friday (23 September), reading: “It is with the most heart-wrenching and deepest sadness to inform you that our George – Cherry Valentine – has tragically passed away.
“This will come as a profound shock to most people and we understand there is no easy way for this to be announced. As his family, we are still processing his death and our lives will never be the same.
They continued: “We understand how much he is loved and how many lives he has inspired and touched. All we ask is for your patience and your prayers in this time. We love you Georgie.”
Ward was raised in Darlington, County Durham as part of the Traveller community and qualified as a mental health nurse in 2015, before starting his career in drag.
In December 2020, he was announced as one of 12 contestants competing in the second series of the UK version of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
In his introductory video for the show, he described his alter-ego Cherry Valentine as “glamorous”, “dark” and “gothic”.
Upon entering the Werk Room, Ward explained that he had three jobs, as he did botox and worked as a mental health nurse alongside drag.
Nursing, he explained, “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,” he said. “And to understand people I think you go the extra mile.”
After appearing on the show, Ward worked with the BBC to produce a documentary exploring his Traveller heritage titled Gypsy Queen and Proud.
He performed publicly across the country and appeared in music videos alongside artists such as Charli XCX.
