By Chris King • Published: 23 Sep 2022 • 19:19
Image of George Ward, better known as drag Queen Cherry Valentine. Credit: Twitter@TheCValentine
Cherry Valentine, a drag queen who appeared on the second series of Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK television show, has passed away at the age of 28. Born George Ward, the performer’s family revealed in a statement today, Friday, September 23, that he died last Sunday 18.
The legendary artist was among the first to pay tribute to Cherry Valentine. Posting on Twitter @RuPaulsDragRace said: “Rest in peace, Cherry Valentine. Thank you for sharing your art with all of us. You will be so missed”.
A personal tweet from RuPaul read: “So sad to hear. A bright star and a lovely person. @TheCValentine. Always in our hearts”.
So sad to hear. A bright star and a lovely person. @TheCValentine Always in our hearts. https://t.co/cA0TsMZ0PN pic.twitter.com/78xdx6Vvef — RuPaul (@RuPaul) September 23, 2022
So sad to hear. A bright star and a lovely person. @TheCValentine Always in our hearts. https://t.co/cA0TsMZ0PN pic.twitter.com/78xdx6Vvef
— RuPaul (@RuPaul) September 23, 2022
A further tribute from Drag race UK read: “We are heartbroken that Cherry has passed away. She was a kind soul who brought joy and a distinctive laugh to everyone she met. She brought flair, verve and charm to #DragRaceUK, we will miss her so deeply”.
We are heartbroken that Cherry has passed away. She was a kind soul who brought joy and a distinctive laugh to everyone she met. She brought flair, verve and charm to #DragRaceUK, we will miss her so deeply. pic.twitter.com/4LG7oHaVZj — RuPaul's Drag Race UK (@dragraceukbbc) September 23, 2022
We are heartbroken that Cherry has passed away. She was a kind soul who brought joy and a distinctive laugh to everyone she met. She brought flair, verve and charm to #DragRaceUK, we will miss her so deeply. pic.twitter.com/4LG7oHaVZj
— RuPaul's Drag Race UK (@dragraceukbbc) September 23, 2022
‘It is with the most heart-wrenching and deepest sadness to inform you that our George – Cherry Valentine – has tragically passed away’, read the statement from George’s family.
‘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’, it 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’, the statement concluded.
Although working as a drag queen, George was also a mental nurse, having qualified back in 2015. During the pandemic, Drag Race UK was temporarily suspended in march 2020, which prompted him to go back to nursing.
Before the series re-commenced in January 2021, the star spoke with metro.co.uk, telling them: ‘I can’t just sit at home, I need to be doing something. I ended up going back into nursing, working in neuro for a bit for a couple of months. It was high-intensity neuro for adults, so it was treating patients with brain damage and brain injuries’.
He added: ‘‘It was a weird crossover because I’m obviously mental health-trained. During the pandemic, it was very physical health-focused, so it was dealing with Covid, which was a bit of a shock. I did that until we went back filming again’.
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Originally from Wales, Chris spent years on the Costa del Sol before moving to the Algarve where he is a web reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com
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