Ann Widdecombe, Former MP and Reality TV Star, Found Dead at Home; 26‑Year‑Old Arrested on Suspicion of Murder

A 26-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of Ann Widdecombe, a former British member of Parliament and reality‑TV contestant, police said.

Widdecombe, 78, was found dead on Thursday at her home near Dartmoor National Park in southwest England, authorities said. She died from serious injuries, according to a Reuters report.

The suspect’s name has not been released pending further investigation.

Britain’s former European Parliament member Ann Widdecombe, right, of the Brexit Party, speaks during a debate at the European Parliament on Jan. 14, 2020, in Strasbourg, eastern France. Widdecombe was found dead at her home this week and a 26‑year‑old man has been arrested, authorities said. (Jean‑Francois Badias/AP)

“This is really shocking news, and my thoughts, I think all of our thoughts, will be with the family and friends of Ann Widdecombe at this awful time,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer said. “Ann was a distinguished politician over many, many years with many achievements, and it’s a huge, huge loss.”

Investigators do not believe the killing was politically motivated, Devon and Cornwall Police Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman said.

“Our murder enquiry is in its early stages but moving at a significant pace,” Devon and Cornwall Police said in a statement.

Starmer emphasized that the safety of lawmakers is “of the utmost importance” and urged the public to rise above political differences.

Former British MP Ann Widdecombe reads a statement outside the Old Bailey in London after the sentencing of Ali Harbi Ali in relation to the murder trial of the late British lawmaker David Amess.

Widdecombe served in Parliament but later entered the public eye as a contestant on the reality‑TV shows *Strictly Come Dancing* and *Celebrity Big Brother*. She subsequently joined the Brexit Party and became a spokeswoman for the anti‑mass‑migration Reform UK party.

In a post on X, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson called Widdecombe “a heroic Brexiteer and a great speaker who could move Tory audiences to such ecstasy that she was a very hard act to follow.”

Cloud9 Management, which represented Widdecombe for more than a decade, said her life was driven by “strong Christian values and commitment to public service.”

Brexit Party member and then‑MEP Ann Widdecombe speaks during a Brexit Party news conference in London on Aug. 27, 2019. (Henry Nicholls/Reuters)

In the past decade, two serving British members of Parliament have been murdered.

In 2016, Labour MP Jo Cox was shot and stabbed by a Nazi‑obsessed loner. In 2021, Conservative MP David Amess was fatally stabbed by a man inspired by the Islamic State terror group.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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