George Ward, better known as Cherry Valentine, a drag performer, died at the age of 28.
Ward featured on the second season of RuPaul’s Drag Race the UK and later fronted the BBC documentary Gypsy Queen And Proud.
His death was characterized as a “deep shock” by his family in a statement.
Ward, who died on Sunday, was reared in Darlington, County Durham, as a member of the Traveller community.
He graduated as a mental health nurse in 2015 before beginning his drag career.
Cherry Valentine suicide: Did Cherry Valentine take her own life?
The actual cause of Cherry’s death has not been revealed yet however, Her family released a statement to the BBC expressing dismay over her death.
Cherry gained notoriety on the second season of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK when she was evicted on the first episode.
She worked as a nurse for the National Health Service during the coronavirus outbreak before joining the cast.
Cherry Valentine: Gypsy Queen and Proud, a BBC documentary on her life, was subsequently released in 2022, chronicling her departure from the Gypsy culture. In late 2021, she also starred in Charli XCX’s “Good Ones” music video.
