Ann Widdecombe, former minister and Strictly star, dies at 78
People who followed British politics and television have lost a well-known public figure. Ann Widdecombe died aged 78, her representative said on Friday 10 July 2026, after a career as a Conservative minister, MP and later a Brexit Party MEP. She entered Parliament in 1987 for Maidstone, left Westminster in 2010, and appeared on BBC's Strictly Come Dancing.
Understand this story
What is a minister? What is an MEP? What is an MP? What is Strictly Come Dancing?Lost in this story? That's the point of BriefTea.
Open it in the app and tap Learn from this — the Knowledge Galaxy turns the story into a map of everything it assumes you know, one tap at a time. Free, no ads, no paywall.
Get BriefTea on the App Store