Born and raised as George Ward in the Traveller community in Darlington, drag performer Cherry Valentine thought their life was mapped out for them. "I was going to get a job as a mechanic, get married, have kids and that would be it," the Drag Race UK star, who has died aged 28, said in an interview with the Manchester Evening News earlier this year.
"I was always brought up on old-fashioned, stereotypical views of what a man or woman should be or should do," they said.
"I had to identify as your typical man growing up and that meant following the society rules and expectations of being masculine. There wasn’t ever any wiggle room."
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But Ward, who used they/them pronouns, chose to follow a different path. They knew it was pretty much the only option, even if, at first, the prospect was 'terrifying' - not least because it could also see them completely ostracised from their community. "I sort of realised I needed to make the decision of whether to just do it or get away from that and move away," they said
"It was really difficult because I felt really alone. I had some really dark times.
"The idea of hope got me through those dark feelings. Being able to potentially live a different life to what I was expected to be is what really kept me going through it all."
Ward went to college to study psychology, literature and sciences while, unbeknownst to their family, also dabbling in the world of fashion and art. After a tutor suggested a career in mental health, they enrolled at Lancaster university to study mental health nursing.
And it was there that Ward was able to explore their sexuality and identity - and where they discovered the world of drag and being part of the LGBTQ+ community. After qualifying in 2015, Ward worked in psychiatric intensive care for the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), worked with adults diagnosed with Huntington's brain injury and during the pandemic worked in a Covid vaccination centre..
They also built up a profile as one of Manchester's emerging drag talents. And in the bars and clubs of the Gay Village, their mental health training was put to good use.
"When I went into the clubs and I was actually starting to wear drag and feel my fantasy, it was a whole different world to me," Ward said. "It really opened my eyes because not only are you in drag, you're also a performer, an artist, and people sort of see you as a therapist as well.
"Even then, in drag, people would come up to me and tell me their whole life story. I am so open to that and I will happily sit down and talk to someone about mental health."
In December 2020, Ward was announced as one of 12 contestants competing in the second series of RuPaul's Drag Race and in January this year, went on to present a BBC documentary about their life 'Cherry Valentine: Gypsy Queen and Proud', in which they returned to their roots in the north east.
In a promotional video for the documentary Ward said: "It was something I wanted to do because if I was younger and saw something like that it maybe would've helped feel a little bit differently about it."
In a statement on Friday, Ward's family said the performer died on September 18, adding their death came as a 'profound shock'. "It is with the most heart wrenching and deepest sadness to inform you that our George - Cherry Valentine - has tragically passed away," the statement said.
"This will come as a profound shock to most people & 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.
"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."
BBC Three controller, Fiona Campbell, said: "We are all shocked and heartbroken to hear the news of the passing of George, known to many as Cherry Valentine. A fan favourite and an inspiration to so many, we were privileged to have worked with him at BBC Three.
"He will be hugely missed by his many fans and friends. Our deepest sympathies are with his family and friends at this difficult time."
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