SKY’S Adam Boulton has apologised for calling late Ann Widdecombe an ‘old maid’ amid her murder investigation.
On Friday it was revealed that the police had launched a murder probe after the Reformer UK politician was found dead at her remote Devon home on Thursday.
Yesterday Adam was accused of making “inappropriate and disrespectful” comments about Ann in light of her death.
Speaking about Ann’s life on Sky News, broadcaster Adam said: “She was very much a spinster. By the end you could probably describe her as an old maid.”
And his comments led to fury online, which led him to take to X, formerly known as Twitter, today, to say sorry about his choice of words.
He wrote on the social media platform: “AN APOLOGY.
“I was seriously wrong and insensitive in one of the several media appearances I made yesterday in reaction to the death of Ann Widdecombe.
“I got the timing and tone of my initial word portrait of her wrong.
“Of course I shared, and share, the horror at her murder and the respect for her remarkable and feisty political career.
“I also know that may people loved her for her subsequence showbiz stardom.
“Her untimely death is a horrible thing.
“My mistaken view was that in the context of rolling news coverage, I was being asked to contribute as an obituarist who has known her and interacted with her since the 1980s. This approach was premature.
“At no point was I expressing my personal feelings about her, that’s not what I do. I was discussing her life in the round, based on the record of known facts and what she has said about herself, along with some recollections of our personal interactions.
“My choice of words on the spur of the moment was clumsy. I did not intend to offend though obviously I did.”
He added: “I am a freelance contributor to a number of outlets. I am responsible for what I say, not those I work for.
“I make this apology freely because I now recognise I got this badly wrong. It is on me.”
He also said during his appearance on Sky: “Reportedly, Ann claimed she was a virgin. She had chaste, but doomed relationship with a man who is now a banker.
“From that point on she was not interested in having personal relationships and dedicated herself to her activities.”
“After she left parliament she developed this second career as a TV personality.
“She was pretty unique. There weren’t many battling old ladies around.”
He added: “She was a major political character. Known for speaking without a written speech and wouldn’t stand behind the lectern.
“She would stomp around the stage telling the delegates how she viewed the world. She was definitely a bruiser.
“She refused to let people touch her when she was sitting down the line. She wouldn’t have an ear piece in, she thought it was unhealthy.
“You had to work out a way to get the sound without her ears having to be violated in some way.”
Adam is best known as being the founding Political Editor of Sky News from 1989 to 2014.
In recent years he has worked across various channels as a political analyst.
Cops believe Ann died 24 hours before her body was found after she stopped answering the phone – and are still hunting for a white male suspect.
Police are now working on the theory she was attacked around Wednesday lunchtime in a burglary gone wrong, The Sun understands.
Ann appeared on TalkTV at 8am on Wednesday morning and was due to be interviewed again at 2.15pm on Channel 5 that afternoon.
But concerns were raised when she stopped responding to messages, it is understood.
She was found by a carer covered in blood after being allegedly bludgeoned to death and sustaining a serious head wound, on Thursday morning.