Steven Hulme said hearing the news about his bladder made him terrified
05:00, 14 Feb 2026Updated 07:54, 14 Feb 2026
Steven Hulme and friend James Lee Williams
A Merseyside man has spoken out about his addiction struggles, a year on from losing his best friend. Steven Hulme, from Litherland, said that, like “a lot of people”, when he started to use ketamine he didn’t realise the danger he was putting himself in.
The 35-year-old said it was very much a “social thing” that was normalised as just part of going out. However, the businessman behind Weavin Steven Aesthetics said over time it “stopped being about fun and escape”, and it began impacting how he viewed himself.
He told the ECHO: “I became more isolated, more withdrawn, and carried a lot of shame that I didn’t know how to talk about. From the outside, things might look fine, but internally, it can be a very lonely place to be. I was told that a healthy bladder normally holds around 500ml, but mine had reduced to just a fraction of that.
“At its worst, it was 6ml, 1ml over a Calpol spoon. Hearing that was terrifying and made me realise the damage ketamine can do. When everyone around you is doing it, you don’t really question it, but what I didn’t realise at the time was how quickly something that feels small and casual can take up more and more space in your life. Ketamine is a dissociative drug, and I realised I was using it to detach from what was going on around me.”
Steven said, thankfully for him, there was light at the end of the tunnel, with his bladder beginning to heal. He said the best way for this to happen is abstinence alongside help from a urology doctor. However, not all journeys have the same ending as Steven’s. His best friend, James Lee Williams, known to thousands of people as The Vivienne, died last January after struggling with addiction to ketamine.
Steven Hulme (2nd from left), Chanel Williams (centre) and others at House of The Vivienne Launch
The city was heartbroken by the news of the death of the 32-year-old when publicist Simon Jones confirmed his passing at the start of 2025. In an emotional Instagram post, Simon explained the TV personality was more than a client to him and had become a cherished friend.
Following the news, tributes poured in from all over the world, with a number of messages from Liverpool – the city where The Vivienne made a name for herself before being catapulted to international fame after winning the first series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK.
The performer was laid to rest at a church in Bodelwyddan in Denbighshire, North Wales where they grew up. A horse-drawn carriage arrived outside the church, with the coffin inside topped with a white floral arrangement.
The Vivienne was crowned the UK’s First Drag Super Star on the inaugural series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK in 2019, and it was from this launchpad that she emerged as an entertainer who touched the lives of many around the world.
Steven said: “Losing my best friend James changed everything for me. It’s the kind of loss that never really leaves you, and it forces you to look at things differently. For me, it reinforced how important it is that people have access to support, understanding, and honest conversations before things reach crisis point.”
A lifeline for those struggling with drug and alcohol addiction has been launched in memory of The Vivienne(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool ECHO)
In light of The Vivienne’s death and his own experience, Steven has launched Stebriety: a safe, understanding space where people can talk openly about their experiences and support one another.
He said: “Recovery doesn’t happen in isolation, and no one should have to face it alone. What made a difference for me was being around people who understood without judging me. Peer support is about creating space where people can be honest about where they’re at, surrounded by others on similar journeys. When that space exists, people are far more likely to ask for help and feel less alone.
“Stebriety is about creating a supportive, non-judgemental environment where people can talk openly about their experiences and support one another – no labels or hierarchy. If sharing lived experience helps even one person feel less isolated, then it’s worth doing. Stebriety is sobriety without the soft talk.”
The group has the backing of House of The Vivienne, a charity established in memory of The Vivienne in their hometown of Colwyn Bay by their family.
The Vivienne and sister Chanel
Chanel Williams, The Vivienne’s sister, said: “James spent a significant part of his life in Liverpool and built deep connections within the city. As a family, we want to recognise and give back to the community that gave my brother so much inspiration and encouragement to chase his dreams.
“We have been fully embraced by Liverpool’s LGBTQ+ community, who continue to support us in our work, and we are proud to support initiatives like Stebriety that reflect the same values of care and community.”
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Alongside its support work, House of The Vivienne continues to campaign for the reclassification of ketamine, currently a Class B drug. Possession can result in up to five years in prison or an unlimited fine, while supply or production carries a maximum sentence of 14 years.
The UK government is currently considering reclassification following a sharp rise in usage. In the year ending March 2024, an estimated 269,000 people aged 16–59 in England and Wales reported ketamine use in the last year, while the number of people entering treatment for ketamine-related problems has continued to grow.
The charity has met with MPs and government ministers to highlight the increasing prevalence of ketamine use, particularly among younger people and within LGBTQ+ communities, and to raise awareness of its long-term physical and mental health impacts.
The Stebriety recovery support group launched this week in Liverpool at Novotel Liverpool Centre, Hanover Street, L1 4LN.