Ann Widdecombe murder probe takes dramatic turn as second male suspect is arrested
Police have confirmed a 28-year-old male has been seized in connection with the killing of the late politician and Strictly Come Dancing star.
Another young man has been arrested on suspicion of murdering Ann Widdecombe.
The 28-year-old male was seized by officers in South Yorkshire on suspicion of the killing of former MP and MEP Ann, 78, after she was attacked around lunchtime on Wednesday (08.11.26), hours after appearing live on TalkTV at 8am and shortly before she was due to be interviewed again at 2.15pm on Channel 5’s 5 Daytime.
Devon and Cornwall Police said in a statement issued on Saturday (12.07.26) night: “We can confirm that a 28-year-old man was arrested at an address in the South Yorkshire area this evening on suspicion of the murder of Ann Widdecombe.
“The suspect, who is a white British national, is now in police custody.
“Miss Widdecombe’s family have been informed of this development.
“We were supported by Counter Terrorism Policing North East and South Yorkshire Police who carried out the arrest on behalf of Devon and Cornwall Police. At this time, there is still no information to suggest that this is a terrorism related incident and as a force we retain primacy of the investigation.”
Meanwhile, Strictly Come Dancing judges Anton Du Beke and Craig Revel Horwood are said to have asked to carry out a tribute to Ann in next month’s new series of the BBC ballroom show.
Her 2010 appearance on the series with Anton as her pro dance partner was one of the show’s most popular pairings.
A source told The Sun on Saturday afternoon: “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.”
Craig wrote online in tribute to Ann: “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.
Anton hailed Ann as her “fun, upbeat and positive”, adding: “We had an incredible time together.
It comes as it’s feared Ann may have lain dead in her Dartmoor home for up to 24 hours before her body was discovered.
The Sun reported detectives are working on the basis of that theory as the focus of the investigation into her passing shifts to the critical window between her last TV appearance and the moment she stopped answering her phone.
Concerns were raised about Ann when she stopped responding to messages and failed to arrive for the programme, triggering a chain of events that ultimately led to a carer finding her covered in blood at her Dartmoor property the following morning.
On Saturday (11.07.26), The Sun reported officers are now said to be working on the theory she was assaulted at about 12.30pm on Wednesday, with her body not discovered until late Thursday morning.
Channel 5 presenter Dan Walker set out the timeline from the broadcaster’s perspective as he explained how the production team became alarmed when Ann did not appear.
He said: “Ann was due to appear on 5 Daytime on Wednesday afternoon but stopped responding to messages and didn’t turn up for the show. The team contacted her agent to ask them to check in on her. This information has been passed to police as it’s part of the investigation.”
That sequence now reportedly forms a key part of detectives’ efforts to piece together Ann’s final hours.
Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman has confirmed officers currently believe the attack on Ann took place on Wednesday 8 July at around 12.30pm, narrowing the focus to a relatively short period between Ann leaving TalkTV and the point at which friends and colleagues could no longer reach her.
He said: “We believe the attack took place on Wednesday 8 July at around 12.30pm.”
Police were not called to the house until about 11.40am on Thursday, when ambulance crews raised the alarm and officers found Ann dead inside the property with serious injuries.
Investigators say this apparent 24 hour gap between the suspected time of the attack and the discovery of Ann’s body is now central to the inquiry, raising questions about who may have been in or around her house during that period, and whether the suspect remained in the area or left Dartmoor soon after the assault.
Ann’s post politics career, including her stint on Strictly Come Dancing and later appearance on ITV’s Celebrity Big Brother, has been widely revisited as friends and viewers share clips and memories while the investigation into her final day intensifies.
Departing Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said it was “really shocking news” police had launched a murder investigation after her death, and described Ann as a “distinguished politician”, noting her periods as Education Minister and Prisons Minister in John Major’s cabinet before she left the Commons in 2010.
