Former MP Ann Widdecombe dies aged 78
Former MP Ann Widdecombe has passed away at the age of 78, her representatives have announced.
The political figure, who appeared on hit UK shows such as Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity Big Brother, has been remembered as a 'consummate professional and a delight to work with' by her team.
In a statement shared on Friday (10 July), Widdecombe's management said the former MP and MEP will be 'missed greatly'.
A statement from Cloud9 Management, who represented her for more than a decade, said: "It is with great sadness that today we announce the death of the Rt Hon Ann Widdecombe, DSG.
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"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."
Widdecombe was a Conservative MP between 1987 and 2010 for the Kent constituency of Maidstone and she also held several ministerial positions in Sir John Major’s government.
From 1994 to 1997, she served as a Home Office and an employment minister.
The political figure from Bath, Somerset, also championed the UK's exit from the EU. She was elected to stand as Brexit Party MEP in the European Parliament back in 2019.
Widdecombe then served as an MEP representing South West England in Brussels between 2019 and 2020.
In 2023, the 78-year-old joined Nigel Farage’s political party, Reform UK.
She was also known for her socially conservative views, which included opposing the legality of abortion and widening rights for the LGBT+ community during her Commons career.
Widdecombe claimed to have no interest in sex, and never married.
"Her life and career were driven by her strong Christian values and commitment to public service," Cloud9 Management's statement continued.
“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," the statement from her management said.
“Ann was a valued patron of many causes, particularly her animal charities.
“As Ann 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’.”
"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," the statement continued.
“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."
She made it to the semi-finals of the BBC show while partnered with du Beke in 2010.
Olivia Burke