Cherry Valentine

Ward, as his father had done, was expected to develop a career as a mechanic.[3] Ward was introduced to Manchester's drag scene while studying mental health nursing[3] at the University of Cumbria.[4] After considering several names, he chose the moniker "Cherry Valentine" for his drag alter ego.[5] Ward qualified as a mental health nurse in 2015[6] and began performing as Cherry Valentine in 2016 while still working as a nurse, working in children's psychiatric intensive care and with adults with Huntington's disease.[3]

In December 2020, Cherry Valentine was announced as one of twelve contestants in the second series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK.[7] In an interview for the show, she said working as a nurse "has put me in that right position where I'm able to understand people a bit more, and if you're a drag queen, you're working with people. By understanding people, you're going the extra mile".[6] When filming for the show was halted during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ward returned to work in National Health Service (NHS) to assist in COVID-19 relief efforts and the UK's deployment of COVID-19 vaccines.[8]

Cherry Valentine was eliminated in the second episode in a challenge to lip-sync to the song "Memory" by Elaine Paige from musical Cats (1981) against fellow contestant Tayce.[3] In "Queens on Lockdown", a special episode of the series that explores the contestants' lives during the COVID-19 pandemic, Cherry Valentine discussed returning to work in the NHS.[9] Alongside fellow eliminated contestants Joe Black and Asttina Mandella, she appeared in the fifth episode—the first to be filmed post-lockdown—"The RuRuvision Song Contest" for a chance to return to the competition and replace Veronica Green, who was forced to withdraw after testing positive for COVID. The remaining contestants, however, voted for Joe Black to return.[10] Cherry Valentine made her final appearance on the series in the grand finale alongside the other eliminated contestants.[11]

In February 2022, Cherry Valentine, alongside the rest of the series's contestants, embarked on "RuPaul's Drag Race UK: The Official Tour".[12][13]

Ward grew up in an English Traveller community in Darlington, County Durham, in the north-east of England,[14] and is the only drag queen of Romani heritage to appear on the Drag Race franchise.[15][16] Discussing his background on Drag Race UK, Ward said he grew up in a strict environment in which drag was not accepted and as part of the LGBTQIA+ community; he hid his Traveller heritage because he feared he might receive "hate or backlash".[17] Speaking to fellow Drag Race contestant Sister Sister, he said; "Growing up [being gay] did affect me. I don't think I was completely sane at all."[18]

Ward came out to his parents by writing a letter before leaving home for a week, after which his parents individually took him for a drive and talked but did not discuss his sexual orientation after that incident.[3] Ward left home when he was 18, and he returned to the Traveller community for the 2022 documentary Cherry Valentine: Gypsy Queen and Proud.[14] Ward was genderfluid and used he/they pronouns when not in drag.[17]

Ward died on 18 September 2022 at age 28.[19] A coroner’s inquest on 9 February 2023 recorded Ward’s death as a suicide.[2] Following the announcement of his death, numerous Drag Race contestants paid tribute to him; these include fellow second-series contestants Asttina Mandela, A'Whora, Bimini Bon-Boulash, Ellie Diamond, Ginny Lemon, Joe Black, Lawrence Chaney, Sister Sister, Tayce, and Tia Kofi, as well as Priyanka and Sum Ting Wong. RuPaul described Ward as a "bright star and a lovely person" who would "always be in [their] hearts", and Michelle Visage said Ward was "one of a kind with a laugh as big as [his] heart".[20][21]