Ann Widdecombe, the former Conservative MP and MEP who also appeared on Strictly Come Dancing, has died at the age of 78. Her death was confirmed by her spokesperson on Friday morning.
Management Statement Confirms Death
A statement from her management said: “It is with great sadness that today we announce the death of the Rt Hon Ann Widdecombe, DSG. We send our deepest condolences to Ann’s family and friends. We ask that the family’s wish not to be contacted at this sad time is respected.”
Cloud9 Management, who represented her for more than a decade, said she would be missed “greatly”. Their statement added: “Her life and career were driven by her strong Christian values and commitment to public service. She loved the cut and thrust of political debate and, 16 years after leaving Parliament, was still actively campaigning for Reform UK and offering forthright views on the hot topics of the day across numerous radio and television programmes.”
Political Career and Controversies
Miss Widdecombe served as a Conservative MP between 1987 and 2010 for the Kent constituency of Maidstone, later Maidstone and the Weald. She held several ministerial positions in Sir John Major’s government. She famously clashed with her Conservative colleague Michael Howard when she was a Home Office minister and he was home secretary, describing him as having “something of the night about him”. She also faced criticism for defending a policy of chaining pregnant prisoners to their beds.
Throughout her political career, she was a prominent Eurosceptic and supported the Vote Leave campaign during the 2016 Brexit referendum. She became a member of the Brexit Party in 2019 and served as an MEP representing South West England in Brussels between 2019 and 2020. She joined Nigel Farage’s Reform UK in 2023, the successor to the Brexit Party, and appeared at its party conference the following year as Reform’s immigration spokesperson.
Strictly Come Dancing and Later Life
In her post-Commons career, she appeared on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing in 2010 partnered with Anton du Beke, surviving until the competition’s semi-finals thanks to the public vote. Her management company’s statement continued: “For many, of course, she will be best (or worst?) remembered for her unforgettable appearances on Strictly Come Dancing, defying the judges week after week as the public delighted in her unsuccessful attempts to follow the choreography of the long-suffering Anton Du Beke.”
Cloud9 Management also noted: “A consummate professional and a delight to work with, indefatigable to the last, we know this news will come as a great shock to the many colleagues and friends she made along the way and our sympathies go to them and her family.”
Tributes and Legacy
Miss Widdecombe was known for her socially conservative views, including opposing the legality of abortion and widening rights for the LGBT community during her Commons career. She was also a valued patron of many causes, particularly animal charities. As she once said on The Graham Norton Show: “We get one go this side of eternity, one go. Life is not a dress rehearsal, you take opportunities that you like and you go for it, that’s my philosophy.”
