RUPAUL’S Drag Race star Cherry Valentine has tragically passed away at the age of 28.
The TV favorite’s family confirmed the heartbreaking news today, sharing their “deepest sadness” following the news.
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It is not yet clear how Cherry – real name George Ward – died.
In a statement, his devastated family said: “It is with the most heartbreaking and deepest sadness to inform you that our George – Cherry Valentine – has passed away tragically.
“This will come as a big shock to most people and we understand there is no easy way to publicize this.
“As his family, we are still coping with his death and our lives will never be the same.
“We understand how much he loves him and how many lives he has inspired and touched.
“All we ask is for your patience and your prayers at this time.
“We love you Georgie. November 30, 1993 – September 18, 2022.”
Ward, who died on Sunday, appeared in the second series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UKbefore embarking on a TV career and fronting the BBC documentary Gypsy Queen And Proud.
Ward grew up in Darlington, County Durham as part of the Traveler community and qualified as a mental health nurse in 2015 before starting his career in drag.
In December 2020, Ward was announced as one of 12 entrants to take part in the second series of the UK version of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
In his introductory video for the show, he described his Cherry Valentine alter-ego as “glamorous”, “dark” and “gothic”.
He said his work as a nurse had “put me in the right position to understand people a little more.
“When you’re a drag queen, you work with people. And to understand people, I think you go one step further.”
After appearing on the show, Ward teamed up with the BBC to create a documentary exploring his Traveler heritage.
In the 2022 special called Gypsy Queen And Proud, he revisited the community he left at age 18.
He has also performed publicly and appeared in music videos by artists such as Charli XCX.
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