Anne Widdecombe murdered. Farage speaks.
Fri 11:15 pm +00:00, 10 Jul 2026Former Sky News presenter Adam Boulton has been criticised following comments he made about Ann Widdecombe’s private life following news of her death.
Her death was announced on Friday morning. Devon and Cornwall Police later confirmed that a murder investigation has been launched following Widdecombe’s “suspicious death.”
The former Conservative MP and Brexit Party MEP died aged 78 after being found with “sustained serious injuries” by emergency services at approximately 11.40am at her home in Haytor, Dartmoor.
A man has been arrested on suspicion of her murder, police have now said. Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman said that a 26-year-old white British man was arrested on Friday afternoon on suspicion of Widdecombe’s murder.
Read more: Detectives deliver major update on motive behind Ann Widdecombe’s death
Speaking about Widdecombe’s decision never to marry or have children, Boulton described her as a “spinster” and said she could be considered an “old maid” later in life.
The 67-year-old Times Radio presenter told Sky News: “She was very much a spinster. By the end, I think you’d probably describe her as an old maid.
“Reportedly, she claimed that she was a virgin. She had a relationship at university; she went to Oxford University, into an all-women’s college, of course, where people like Edwina Currie knew her as well.
Related video: Man arrested on suspicion of murder of former MP and minister Ann Widdecombe (PA Media)
PA Media
Man arrested on suspicion of murder of former MP and minister Ann Widdecombe
We can confirm that a 26-year-old man was arrested at
“She had a chaste but doomed relationship with a man, who is now a banker, and really, from that point on, she was not interested in having personal relationships and very much dedicated herself to her activities.”
Boulton went on to discuss Widdecombe’s television career, including her appearances on shows such as Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity Big Brother, saying she had embraced the public image that developed around her.
He said: “There weren’t that many battling old ladies around.
“She knew that the joke was partly on her, but she was very happy to play up to that, for the attention it gave her.”
Following Boulton’s TV appearance, many took to social media to express their outrage, accusing the broadcaster of making “disrespectful” and “misogynistic” comments about the late Ann Widdecombe.
Columnist Madeline Grant wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “Adam Boulton talking mean-spiritedly about Ann Widdecombe in front of what looks like a picture of himself.
“He describes her – a possible murder victim – as a ‘spinster’, a ‘battleaxe’, ‘a bruiser’, an ‘old maid’, and mentions her virginity, before speculating irresponsibly about her death. Horrible, horrible stuff.”
Someone else wrote: “Disgraceful scenes on Sky News as a smirking Adam Boulton rants about Ann Widdecombe as a “spinster,” an “old maid” and a “virgin” while speculating about her private life.”
Another added: “Sky News have just had Adam Boulton on to talk about Ann Widdecombe and for some bizarre reason he said she was an old maid and a virgin. I find that really inappropriate and disrespectful.”
Reform were holding a conference in Cornwall. This event is potentially threatening to any political opposition to the current governemnt. Her last interview took place two days ago and is on BBC iplayer.
www.msn.com
@serenawatkins6875
6 hours ago
RIP Anne.
No doubt killed because she was a Reform member. Nigel Farage has now been completely vindicated in his explanation for the £5m donation which was for security protection. Reform are under threat and attacks from the left and Labour.
The Independent
Ann Widdecombe defended Nigel Farage’s re-election bid in Clacton as “the right course to take” in her final TV interview just a day before her death at the age of 78.
The former Conservative minister turned Reform UK member was found with “significant injuries” at her home on Dartmoor in Devon on Thursday (9 July) morning.
Ann Widdecombe speaking in red jacket and dress
Ann Widdecombe speaking in red jacket and dress
© Getty
Ann Widdecombe made her final TV appearance just two days before her passing was announced. The politician, whose death was confirmed by representatives on Friday, had joined Mark Dolan on Wednesday’s instalment of Talk TV. On hand to discuss Nigel Farage’s resignation as MP of Clacton, Widdedcombe, 78, revealed that she had “very little trust left now in Parliamentary processes,” while adding that Farage had been “challenging that establishment” and was “right” to resign in Tuesday’s press conference.
Remarking that Farage would be using this campaigning period to “clear his name” in response to the ongoing scrutiny surrounding his finances, Widdecombe noted that he is gearing up to ask “the peaceful people of Clacton to express a vote of confidence in him,” and called his latest move a clear example of “taking the initiative”.
Read more: Nigel Farage leads tributes to Ann Widdecombe after death of ‘political colossus
Read more: BBC Breakfast needs cancelling after abysmal Ann Widdecombe tribute
Widdecombe, who joined Reform UK in her final years, was represented by Cloud9 Management. In a statement shared on Friday, the company announced her passing, writing: “It is with great shock and sadness that we announce the passing of the Rt Hon Ann Widdecombe DSG, aged 78,” the statement began.
“Cloud9 Management represented Ann for over a decade and we will miss her greatly. Her life and career were driven by her strong Christian values and commitment to public service. She loved the cut and thrust of political debate and, 16 years after leaving parliament, was still actively campaigning for Reform UK and offering forthright views on the hot topics of the day across numerous radio and television programmes.”
Ann Widdecombe sitting down speaking into microphone
Ann Widdecombe sitting down speaking into microphone
© Getty
The statement concluded: “A consummate professional and a delight to work with, indefatigable to the last, we know this news will come as a great shock to the many colleagues and friends she made along the way and our sympathies go to them and her family.”
Following the news of her death, Farage has since paid tribute. He told the Daily Express that Widdecombe was “”a political colossus whose forthright honesty is all too rare in today’s politics”.
He said: “When Ann decided to stand for the Brexit Party in the snap 2019 European elections, it was a big moment and a huge boost. The voters loved her. She played a decisive role in getting Brexit over the line. Ann will be missed.”
www.msn.com
Happier Times
Speaking at the Best Heroes Awards 2025 at The Waldorf Hilton in London last October, the Brexit campaigner said: “I remember I used to get death threats from time to time. We all did. and my staff would say, shall we tell the police? And I’d say, put it in the bin. Because if the IRA are going to do it, they’re not going to tell you in advance, they’re just going to do it. “As they did with Airey Neave,” she added, referring to an advisor to Margaret Thatcher who was assassinated in 1979.
Daily Express
Police statement as murder inquiry launched into death of Ann Widdecombe
afternoon on suspicion of the murder of Anne Whittacombe.
“You know, they just do it. So I just said, put it in the bin. And I still take that attitude. I do know that we’re in a slightly different world. I do know that. But I think it’s crucial that MPs and their constituents intermingle freely.”
She insisted that MPs should never be afraid to walk around their town or be in their home, and referred to her former colleague and “best friend in Parliament” Sir David Amess, who was tragically murdered in 2021.
Ms Widdecombe said she knew Sir David and his family well, and “I know, and I said this to his widow, who agreed with me, that he would never want his death used as a reason to distance MPs from their constituents”.
“His belief, and it is still my belief, that an MP should be able to walk through the town on a Saturday afternoon, talk to their constituents. Absolutely. So I feel very strongly about that,” she added.
“In my day, it wasn’t fundamentalist Islam. In my day, it was the IRA. And I suppose I had a slightly faithless attitude.”
There is no suggestion that these threats are in anyway related to her death, which remains under investigation.
In a more light hearted moment the veteran politician also seemed to confirm she had some security cameras at her home, saying: “I’ve never gone in for the big gates and the electronics and all that nonsense.
“So, no, I mean, anybody could come in and steal a gnome. I would pick them up on my cameras so if anybody wants to steal a gnome they’d better mask up.”
Though the extent of the security measures at her home is not known, any security footage will be of great interest to Devon and Cornwall Police officers looking into the circumstances surrounding her death.
The sad news was confirmed by her management on Friday after the 78-year-old was found lifeless inside her Devon home on Thursday.
Earlier today, the force said a murder investigation had been launched into the “suspicious death” of Ms Widdecombe, who police say was found with “serious injuries”.
They subsequently announced that a 26-year-old white British man had been arrested on suspicion of murder.
Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman said the force is “open-minded” about the investigation, and the incident “is not being treated as terrorism” and there is “no information” to suggest was politically motivated.
The force has appealed for anyone with relevant information to come forward as investigations continue.
via msn.com
A neighbour of Ann Widdecombe has claimed a man wearing hiking gear appeared in the middle of the night before her body was discovered. The former Conservative prisons minister was found dead at her home in Haytor on Dartmoor on Thursday after sustaining serious injuries.
www.msn.com
The neighour will no dout be told to keep quiet. It sounds like professional work. They picked up the local patsy to carry the can while the perpetrator walks away and disappears. The likely scenario.
