Ann Widdecombe to be honoured in Strictly tribute episode amid murder investigation
Strictly Come Dancing judges Anton Du Beke and Craig Revel Horwood have asked to do a tribute episode for Ann Widdecombe after she was found murdered in her home in Devon
Strictly Come Dancing to pay tribute to Ann Widdecombe following tragic death(Image: PA)
Ann Widdecombe will be remembered in a special tribute on Strictly when it returns to screens later this year. The 78-year-old politician was found dead at her home in Devon last week and police say a 28-year-old man has been arrested in South Yorkshire on suspicion of the murder
Ann infamously took to the Strictly Come Dancing dance floor in 2010 where she was partnered with Anton du Beke and the pair performed hilarious routines that became a much-loved part of the show’s history. According to new reports in a bid to honour her memory, Anton and fellow judget Craig Revel Horwood, asked BBC bosses to do a tribute episode for Ann following her tragic death.
Ann Widdecombe appeared on the 2010 series of Strictly Come Dancing(Image: PA)
A source told The Sun: “Ann is a Strictly legend. Craig and Anton were keen to flag the idea to producers who agreed viewers would love to revisit Ann’s special moments. Bosses are likely to air a montage.”
Following her death, Craig, who worked with Ann on a number of theatre projects wrote: “I grew to admire and care for her enormously. Ann was warm, wickedly funny, deeply intelligent, and a genuinely joyous presence to be around. What happened to her is unimaginably cruel… I came to know a woman who bore little resemblance to many of the assumptions I had once made about her.”
He added: “I grew to admire and care for her enormously. Anne was warm, wickedly funny, deeply intelligent, and a genuinely joyous presence to be around.”
Anton also spoke of the friendship he shared with Ann, he told fans: “I had the most brilliant time with Ann on Strictly Come Dancing. 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.”
Piers Morgan who interviewed Ann for his Life Stories show said: “What a horrendous way for such a wonderful character’s life to end. Ann was an absolute tour de force – opinionated, combative, fearless, principled, and highly intelligent.
“She loved a good argument but was great fun too. I didn’t agree with some of her views or politics, but she never demanded that I did. She believed free speech was the cornerstone of democracy.
“We also texted each other from time to time, most recently when we both had nasty falls and ended up in hospital around the same time. She sustained her injury rescuing a mouse from her cat. That was typical Ann… a fiery feisty and often hilariously funny battle-axe (she’d take description as a compliment) on air, a heart of gold off air.”
He ended his post saying: “It’s just awful to think of how harrowing her last moments must have been. My deepest condolences to all Ann’s family. RIP.”