Police in England have arrested a 26-year-old man on suspicion of murder following the death of Ann Widdecombe, a former Conservative MP and a well-known, polarising figure on British reality television. Her body was found on Thursday with what officials described as "serious injuries" at her home in Dartmoor, Devon, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the news "really shocking", offering his thoughts to her family and friends. The case drew widespread attention given Widdecombe's long-standing public profile across both politics and entertainment.

Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed the arrest was made on Friday, and Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman said the suspected killing was not believed to be terrorism-related or politically motivated; the suspect was described as a white British national, though he was not named and no motive was disclosed. Widdecombe served as MP for Maidstone from 1987 to 2010, later joined the pro-Brexit Reform UK party in 2019 and briefly sat as a Member of the European Parliament in 2019 and 2020. Known for her hard-right, pro-Brexit and anti-LGBTQ views, she became a fixture on programmes such as Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity Big Brother, and courted controversy with remarks about Meghan Markle in 2018. Her former Strictly dance partner Anton Du Beke led tributes, describing her as "a real friend" and calling her death "the saddest of news".