“SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN 79…” — ANN WIDDECOMBE’S STRICTLY MEMORIES CARRY A DEEPER SADNESS NOW

The former politician became one of Strictly Come Dancing’s most unforgettable personalities, winning over viewers with her humor, determination and unlikely partnership with Anton Du Beke.

Ann Widdecombe would have turned 79 on October 4, 2026.

Instead, her birthday has become a moment for friends, colleagues and fans to remember a woman whose remarkable life stretched from Westminster politics to one of the most memorable chapters in Strictly Come Dancing history.

Widdecombe died in July 2026, aged 78, after being found seriously injured at her home in Haytor Vale on Dartmoor, Devon. Her death led to a major police investigation and the arrest and charging of a 28-year-old man.

But for millions of television viewers, another image of Ann remains especially powerful — Ann Widdecombe stepping onto the Strictly dance floor beside Anton Du Beke.

THE UNLIKELY STRICTLY STAR

When Widdecombe joined Strictly Come Dancing in 2010, few people expected her to become one of the show’s most talked-about contestants.

She was a veteran politician rather than a trained performer.

Her professional dance partner was Anton Du Beke, who at the time was already one of the show’s best-known professional dancers.

The partnership quickly became a fan favorite.

Their training sessions were filled with humor and playful disagreements, while Widdecombe showed an extraordinary willingness to put herself in situations that were far outside her political career and public image.

She did not have the technical ability of many of the other contestants.

But she had something else: personality.

And audiences loved her for it.

TEN WEEKS THAT MADE TELEVISION HISTORY

Widdecombe remained in the competition for an astonishing 10 weeks, repeatedly surviving despite receiving some of the lowest scores from the judges.

Her performances became events in themselves.

There was her Charleston, her dramatic paso doble and, perhaps most famously, the unforgettable samba at Blackpool Tower.

The judges were often brutally honest about her dancing, but Widdecombe rarely seemed embarrassed.

Instead, she embraced the joke.

Her ability to laugh at herself helped transform her from a controversial political figure into a much more approachable television personality.

When she was eventually eliminated in the quarter-final, Widdecombe described her Strictly experience as “magnificent” and “life-enhancing.”

For viewers, however, it was more than a television appearance.

It became one of the defining entertainment chapters of her later life.

HER BOND WITH ANTON DU BEKE

The relationship between Widdecombe and Du Beke continued long after their original Strictly journey ended.

Du Beke later described her as a real friend, remembering their time together as fun, positive and supportive.

He said they had stayed firm friends after the show and spoke warmly about the memories they had created together.

Their partnership also returned to the Strictly stage more than once, including a 2012 Children in Need special and a Christmas special in 2018.

Even years after their original series, the chemistry between them remained instantly recognizable.

A WOMAN WHO WAS NEVER AFRAID TO TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Widdecombe’s career was far larger than her television appearances.

She was first elected as a Conservative MP in 1987 and represented Maidstone, later Maidstone and The Weald, for 23 years.

She served as a minister in John Major’s government and later became an MEP after joining the Brexit Party.

After leaving frontline parliamentary politics, she developed a second career as a television personality and author.

Her appearances included Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity Big Brother, among other programmes.

Her management company described her as someone who was never afraid to make fun of herself and who remained active in public life for many years.

THEN CAME THE TRAGEDY

On July 9, 2026, emergency services were called to Widdecombe’s home in Haytor Vale.

She was found unresponsive with serious injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police subsequently launched a murder investigation.

A 28-year-old man, Joshua Kerry, from Rotherham, was later charged with her murder and appeared in court. A provisional cause of death was later reported as blunt-force injury to the head.

The circumstances shocked those who knew Widdecombe and the many people who had watched her on television for decades.

The Home Secretary later told Parliament that Widdecombe had been murdered at her home and that counter-terrorism police had taken over the investigation after new information and evidence emerged.

ANTON’S HEARTBREAKING TRIBUTE

Following news of Widdecombe’s death, Anton Du Beke paid tribute to his former dance partner.

He remembered her not simply as a celebrity partner from Strictly, but as someone who had become a genuine friend.

For Du Beke, their time together had been filled with laughter, friendship and memories that continued long after the cameras stopped rolling.

That friendship is part of what makes their Strictly performances feel different now.

The same routines that once made audiences laugh have become reminders of someone who is no longer here to create new memories.

A LEGACY THAT GOES BEYOND THE DANCE FLOOR

Ann Widdecombe was a complicated and distinctive public figure.

She was a politician with strong and sometimes controversial views, a writer, campaigner, television personality and, unexpectedly, a Strictly Come Dancing entertainer.

Yet her time alongside Anton Du Beke revealed another side of her.

She was willing to look silly.

She was willing to fail in front of millions.

And she was willing to keep going even when the judges were less than impressed.

That willingness to step outside her comfort zone helped create a television legacy that remains easy to remember.

On her 79th birthday, fans can look back at those moments not simply as funny clips from an old dance show, but as a reminder of the personality behind them.

Ann Widdecombe may no longer be here to celebrate another birthday, but the laughter, determination and unmistakable spirit she brought to the ballroom remain part of the memories she left behind.

And for those who watched her dance beside Anton Du Beke, those unforgettable Strictly moments will always belong to Ann. 🤍