In one of her final columns for Best Magazine, Ann Widdecombe shared the heartfelt reason she embraced a new career in pantomime after leaving politics. The 78-year-old former MP was found dead at her home in Haytor on Dartmoor, Devon, on Thursday. Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, head of Counter Terrorism Policing, said she was the victim of a "targeted attack." A 28-year-old man detained on suspicion of murder has been re-arrested on suspicion of commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.
From Politics to Pantomime
After retiring from the Commons in 2010 following 23 years as an MP, Widdecombe showed a different side of herself in the showbiz world. That same year, she competed on Strictly Come Dancing alongside Anton Du Beke, then made her pantomime debut in 2011 as the Wicked Queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the Orchard Theatre in Dartford, starring alongside Craig Revel Horwood. She returned to panto in 2018 after her stint on Celebrity Big Brother.
The Sound of Children Laughing
In her final column, Widdecombe wrote: "Whenever people ask me what I most enjoyed about doing pantomime I reply that for four or five weeks all I heard was the sound of children laughing. Kids laugh at anything and it is one of the best sounds in the world." She also recalled living near Fulham football ground: "I grumbled mightily at the traffic but out in the garden I used to grin as we would hear the build-up to a goal and then either a roar of delight or a huge groan. Football is fine as long as I don't have to watch."
Strictly and Celebrity Big Brother
Widdecombe previously joked that she got a taste of panto through Strictly Come Dancing. She said: "I thought it would go one of two ways, either I’d get voted out the first week because I’m terrible or I would be kept in for a laugh. We are the pantomime act but we give good panto, I hope." She added that she "never expected" the public to be so warm: "They actually seem to like us. Of course they want to see what Anton and I can dream up next but it’s not cruel, it’s affectionate."
Tributes from Anton Du Beke
Anton Du Beke paid tribute in an emotional Instagram video, saying he had "the most brilliant time" with her on Strictly. "She became a real friend. She was fun, she was upbeat, she was positive, she was supportive, she was game - she wanted to enter into the spirit of the whole thing and we had an incredible time together," he said. "On behalf of myself and the whole @bbcstrictly family, we are devastated by the news and our thoughts go out to her nearest and dearest and her whole family."
