Ann Widdecombe, the former Conservative minister and Reform UK spokesperson, joked about her age in a text exchange with a TV producer just a day before she was found dead at her Dartmoor home. Police have launched a murder investigation.
Final Text Exchange
The exchange, shared via X by GB News, occurred after Widdecombe appeared on TalkTV. She was coordinating a 1pm Zoom interview for Channel 5's Matt Allwright show. The researcher apologised for a mix-up over a previous refusal of an appearance slot. Widdecombe responded warmly, joking about "old age" being a terrible thing, and confirmed the usual email address for materials. She signed off with "Received! Panic over!!" at 12:19pm — her final known message.
Minutes later, at 12:48pm, the producer messaged again urging her to join the Zoom link. No reply came. Multiple follow-up voice calls went unanswered between 12:53pm and 13:14pm.
Timeline of the Attack
Police believe Widdecombe was attacked around 12:30pm, meaning she had just 11 minutes of life left after her last text. She was found dead at her Dartmoor home the next day. Earlier that day, Express.co.uk emailed Widdecombe to arrange a phone interview. She replied at 12:09pm confirming she could speak between 3.30pm and 4pm.
Police Investigation
In a statement released on Saturday evening, Devon Police ACC Matt Longman said: "I want to start with expressing my thanks to the local community and to the people who have come forward so far with their information. We have been working at pace on this investigation. Officers are making progress and are pursuing a number of lines of inquiry." He added: "At this time, we have made the active decision not to release further information, including descriptions of any potential suspects or releasing CCTV footage. Releasing such information prematurely could compromise ongoing inquiries and may prejudice future investigative opportunities." Longman said the decision not to disclose further details is made on an "operational basis", adding that the force will release information to the public when it is "appropriate and necessary".
