Ann Widdecombe was reportedly due to appear on a television show the day before her body was discovered at her home in Haytor, Dartmoor, on Thursday. The former Tory prisons minister sustained serious injuries, and a 26-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder has since been released from custody.
On Wednesday, Widdecombe was scheduled to be a guest via video call on Channel 5's Matt Allwright show at 1pm. A researcher spoke to her on the phone that morning to arrange the interview, and they exchanged messages shortly after midday. Her last message was sent at 12:19pm. When the researcher messaged again at 12:48pm asking her to join a Zoom link for preparation, there was no reply. Subsequent voice calls and messages also went unanswered.
Concerns Raised by Show Team
The show's team grew concerned about the uncharacteristic lack of response from Widdecombe, who was a regular on the programme. They contacted her agent later on Wednesday and followed up again on Thursday. A source told The Sun: 'It was very strange that Ann wasn't on. Nobody could understand it. She was usually very keen to be on and she is popular with viewers. The producers couldn't get a hold of her. They tried multiple times on the phone and on text, but she wasn't reading messages or responding.'
The source added: 'Obviously there was not much they could do except tell her agent she had not appeared and was not picking up calls. There was some fear that she'd had a medical incident, or maybe needed someone to check on her, but nobody thought she might be dead. The mood when everyone found out was very sad.'
Reaction from Channel 5 Presenter
Dan Walker, a presenter on Channel 5 News, wrote on social media: 'Really sad news about Ann Widdecombe. Horrible to think about what she went through. To clarify something we said on the programme tonight… Ann was due to appear on 5 Daytime on Wednesday afternoon but stopped responding to messages and didn't turn up for the show. The team contacted her agent to ask them to check in on her. This information has been passed to police as it's part of the investigation.'
Police Investigation Update
Devon and Cornwall Police had arrested a 26-year-old white British man at an address in Newton Abbot, Devon, on suspicion of murder. However, on Friday, the force confirmed his release from custody, stating he is no longer part of the investigation. The circumstances surrounding Widdecombe's death remain under investigation.
