Former Conservative minister and Reform UK spokesperson Ann Widdecombe was found dead at her home in Devon on Thursday, according to police. A 26-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder. Widdecombe, 78, had sustained serious injuries, authorities said.
Final media appearance
Just hours before her death, Widdecombe appeared by video link on Talk TV to praise Nigel Farage's announcement that he would stand down from his parliamentary seat in Clacton to trigger a byelection. “This is a very decisive man,” she told the interviewer, speaking with the forthright conviction that defined her career. Farage, she said, had shown “the sort of decision taking that is needed in the leader of the country.”
Political career and hardline views
Widdecombe served as an MP for 23 years until 2010, including seven years as a junior minister under John Major. Known for her uncompromising stance on law and order, she defended handcuffing pregnant prisoners during antenatal appointments in 1996, stating: “Some MPs may like to think that a pregnant woman would not or could not escape. Unfortunately this is not true.” She also proposed a mandatory £100 fine for possession of soft drugs, but withdrew after criticism.
In 2019, she was expelled from the Conservative Party for campaigning for the Brexit Party, later elected to the European Parliament for seven months. She joined Reform UK in 2023 as immigration and justice spokesperson, remaining a vocal figure until her death.
Strictly Come Dancing and media fame
After leaving Parliament, Widdecombe became an unlikely celebrity through her 2010 appearance on Strictly Come Dancing, partnered with Anton Du Beke. Judges likened her to a dalek in drag and a lame canary, but she embraced the experience, saying: “I loved the fact that there was no responsibility. For years everything I’d done was going to affect people. With Strictly … it couldn’t affect anything.”
Du Beke expressed devastation at her death, saying in a video: “I had the most brilliant time with Ann … She became a real friend. She was fun. She was upbeat. She was positive. She was supportive. … This is a sad day and I’m devastated by the news of Ann’s passing, but I shall remember her fondly, and miss her.”
Controversial statements and legacy
Widdecombe remained unyielding in her personal morality, opposing abortion, gay marriage, and conversion therapy bans. On Celebrity Big Brother in 2018, she was accused of victim-blaming regarding Harvey Weinstein's victims, saying: “It’s down to them, they had a choice.”
Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson described her as “a heroic Brexiteer and a great speaker who could move Tory audiences to such ecstasy that she was a very hard act to follow.” Broadcaster Gyles Brandreth called her a “curious mix of Danny DeVito and Margaret Rutherford.”
