Police investigate circumstances of Ann Widdecombe's death

By RORY TINGLE, HOME AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT and REBECCA CAMBER, CRIME AND SECURITY EDITOR Published: 15:08, 10 July 2026 | Updated: 15:29, 10 July 2026 Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding Ann Widdecombe's death amid fears she was murdered in her Devon home, it emerged today.  Friends of the former Conservative minister turned Strictly Come Dancing star say they have been told by officers to brace for 'bad news', and a press conference will be held later this afternoon. Ms Widdecombe's death at the age of 78 was announced this morning. She was found at her house on Dartmoor covered in blood after suffering a serious head wound, it is understood.  Devon and Cornwall Police announced they are investigating the circumstances of Ms Widdecombe’s death. Officers went to her home and spoke to a carer who worked for the politician and is believed to have found her body. Police are trying to establish whether she may have died following a fall or if she was the victim of an attacker. The redoubtable politician was a permanent fixture in British public life thanks to her long political career as a no-nonsense, tough-talking figure on the Right. Ms Widdecombe, a Catholic convert, was best known for her robust views on moral issues such as abortion, same-sex marriage and had a zero-tolerance approach to drugs.  She also ferociously argued that 'there is no need for Britain to suffer' net zero policies and claimed the science of climate change is 'robustly disputed'. She was also a passionate supporter of Brexit, controversially describing the UK leaving the EU as 'slaves' rising up 'against their owners'. This journey eventually led to her leaving her beloved Tory party and joining the Brexit Party. She was elected as a member of the European Parliament in the south-west after Theresa May failed to secure a Brexit deal she could support.  Ann Widdecombe appearing on Talk TV on Wednesday. Her death was announced this morning  Ms Widdecombe campaigns outside Reform's Wigan headquarters for the Makerfield by-election on June 13 Then in 2023, she joined Reform UK and was a vocal supporter of Nigel Farage, appearing on TalkTV to back the party leader ahead of the Clacton by-election just two days ago. But while Ms Widdecombe was a formidable figure within politics, she became known to a much wider audience thanks to her appearances as a contestant on Strictly and Celebrity Big Brother. Her agents, Cloud 9 Management, said in a statement this morning: 'It is with great sadness that today we announce the death of The Right Honourable Ann Widdecombe DSG. 'We send our deepest condolences to Ann's family and friends.' Mr Farage was among those paying tribute to Ms Widdecombe today, calling her an 'absolute force of nature'.  The Reform UK leader told TalkTV: 'She never let anyone… with any doubt in their minds at all where she stood on all the great issues of the day, and she was formidable too. 'I mean, I can tell you, the times when I used to get a phone call from Ann, abrupt Ann on the phone, saying she disagreed with what I'd done or what I'd said. 'And you know, she'd come to London and we'd sit down over a coffee and talk things through. But that was the thing about Ann: that all the disagreements she had with us over policy and direction and all the normal debate, that was always kept behind closed doors. 'You know, in public, she was most incredibly loyal ally.' He added that Miss Widdecombe moving to the Brexit Party was a 'very significant' moment in 'our political history', adding: 'She made us look serious. She made us look real.' Kemi Badenoch called her a 'formidable politician'. The Tory leader said in a post on social media: 'My deepest condolences and those of the Conservative Party to the family and friends of Ann Widdecombe. 'She was a formidable politician who was never afraid to speak her mind and fought hard for what she believed. Always true to herself, her politics were strongly guided by her faith and her values. Rest in Peace, Ann.'