Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood has spoken of his terror following the murder of his "dear friend", Reform politician Ann Widdecombe, in July. Reflecting on the death, he told The Sun: "It's beyond disgusting. It's unfathomable, and it's made me lock every window and door I've got, I have to say. It does terrify me that someone could just come in and do that."
Friendship formed on Strictly and in pantomime
Craig got to know Ann when she competed in series eight of Strictly in 2010, and they later appeared in several pantomimes together. "Bless her heart and soul, she was a dear friend of mine. We did three years of panto together. We became good mates, and she was so good with the children in the company as well. She always spent time with them in between shows and brought them gifts," he recalled.
He added: "I didn't get on with Ann's politics, but I certainly got on with her as a person — a loving person, actually, who would do anything for you. We all miss her."
Final contact before her death
The BBC star said he had been in contact with Ann just six days before her death. The former Tory MP had emailed him to ask if he would speak at one of her charity events. "I said, 'Of course I will, my darling'," Craig noted. "The last email she wrote to me, she just wrote, 'Yippee, Yippee, YIPPEE!!'"
Ann made her final on-screen appearance on TalkTV on 8 July and was killed hours later, when she was hit over the head 21 times with a hammer. She had been having lunch at her home in Haytor, Devon, when the attack occurred.
Arrest and tribute
Following the confirmation of her death, Joshua Kerry, 28, from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, was arrested and charged with the murder. Responding to the news, Craig penned a tribute to Ann, which he shared on Instagram on 11 July.
"After Ann's time on Strictly Come Dancing, I had the privilege of working with her for several years on theatre tours and a variety of other projects," he began. "During that time, I came to know a woman who bore little resemblance to many of the assumptions I had once made about her. I grew to admire and care for her enormously. Anne was warm, wickedly funny, deeply intelligent, and a genuinely joyous presence to be around. Beneath the formidable public persona was a kind and generous spirit, and someone I am proud to have called a friend. What happened to her is unimaginably cruel. No one deserves such a horrific end. Rest in peace, darling Ann. You will be greatly missed."
