A star of RuPaul's Drag Race took their own life after "struggling" to cope with fame, an inquest was told. George Ward - who performed as drag queen Cherry Valentine - was found dead in his flat last September by his lifelong friend and flatmate, the hearing was told.
The 'extravagant' 28-year-old, had worked in his home town of Darlington as a mental health nurse before finding fame on the second season of the cult BBC Three show RuPaul's Drag Race UK. But North London Coroner's Court heard how thre star had been "struggling with their rise to fame" since appearing on the show.
A friend admitted the "extravagance" may have been a 'mask' the star was hiding behind, and that they had previously 'battled' with depression. The inquest heard the star - who used he/they pronouns when not in drag and was genderfluid - had been "disowned" by their family at 18 after coming out as gay.
However, the inquest was told they had recently "rekindled" his relationship with their family, who came from an English Traveller community in Darlington, County Durham.
The star had been introduced to the drag scene in Manchester whilst studying mental health nursing at the University of Cumbria. They later moved to London with a female friend from home, and was announced as a contestant on RuPaul's Drag Race UK in December 2020 - starring under their alter-ego and drag name, Cherry Valentine.
When filming for the show was interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, they went back to the NHS to assist in vaccination efforts.
In a post mortem report surrounding the circumstances of their death, lifelong friend, Kate - who he shared a flat with in Hornsey, north London - said she had noticed changes in their sleeping pattern in the weeks leading up to their death, with sleeping late and getting up late.
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The report added: "The subject was a successful drag queen, and [his friend] believes he had been struggling with his rise to fame after being on RuPaul's Drag Race. "[Their friend] also said [Mr Ward]'s ex-partner had recently got engaged.
"[The friends] would regularly chat about their struggles, but [the friend] believed that their extravagant behaviour was a mask." It said the star had previously suffered from depression... this is something he has battled with."
On September 18, 2022, the 28-year-old took their own life when their flatmate was out at a concert. She returned home that evening to see a clothes rack blocking the door to his room, and a note saying, "Kate, please read this and do not go in".
The friend forced the door ajar and noticed a rope hanging down, but was unable to fully open the door to reach her friend. She phoned emergency services, who were unable to resuscitate him.
Three A4 pages of suicide notes were found in a box room at the property; one addressed to his friend, Kate, and two others adressed to his family and other unspecified people.
Recording a verdict of suicide, Assistant Coroner Dr Peter Straker paid tribute to the young man, by amending his occupation to read 'drag queen'. Dr Straker said: "Under occupation... I'm going to edit this. I am going to put, 'drag queen' under occupation. It was previously left blank."
Expressing sympathy for the family, he added: "I am very sad that it is someone so young who dies in this way."
In a tribute to their son following the news of their death, Mr Ward's family said in a statement: "As his family, we are still processing his death and our lives will never be the same. We understand how much he is loved and how many lives he has inspired and touched.
"We love you Georgie.”
During his career, the star also appeared in a music video for British artist Charlie XCX's 2021 single Good Ones and was also the star of the BBC Documentary, Cherry Valentine: Gypsy Queen and Proud, in 2022, in which they returned to the Traveller community.
