Ann

Politician Ann Widdecombe gave a pre-recorded radio interview around 20 minutes before police believe she was attacked on Wednesday 8 July.

Widdecombe, 78, was found dead at her home in Devon on Thursday, having sustained serious injuries.

The former Conservative minister turned Reform UK spokeswoman spoke to British Christian radio station TWR-UK for around nine minutes via video link, but the interview was not broadcast.

The station later shared part of the recording with Times Radio, which first aired the interview on Tuesday.

In the interview, she spoke about her support for Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.

Carole Malone has hit out at Adam Boulton after the former Sky News presenter described Ann Widdecombe as a ‘spinster’ and ‘old maid’ on live television.

A former Sky News star has been criticised for comments he made about Ann Widdecombe by broadcaster Carole Malone.

The former Conservative politician and Reform UK spokesperson’s death aged 78 was announced on Friday, July 10. It was confirmed she was found dead at her Devon home the day before after sustaining serious injuries.

While her agents released a statement paying tribute, no cause of death has been given, and a police investigation has been ongoing. In the days that have followed her death, headlines have been focused on the investigation across all major news outlets.

However, one presenter has been slammed for his comments, and later issued an apology. Adam Boulton had described Strictly Come Dancing star Ann as a “spinster” and an “old maid”.

He said on 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.”

After his comments on live TV, Boulton issued an apology, saying: “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 many people loved her for her subsequent 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.”

Boulton went on to call himself a freelance contributor, and said he was “freely” issuing the apology after confessing “I got this badly wrong”. He also apologised to Sky News and Times Radio for the “unwarranted” criticism the outlets received over his “mistake”.

Among the criticism he has received, Carole Malone lashed out, writing on X: “You’re a very clever man. How could you not have known what you were saying as it was coming out of your mouth. Or are you really so lacking in compassion and sensitivity? Your apology is not so much about Ann but more about you saving your various work contracts.”

Malone elsewhere wrote on X, unrelated to Boulton’s apology: “All those cretinous savages gleefully celebrating the brutal murder of Ann Widdecombe – a 78 year old lady who spent her last moments on this earth in abject terror – there’s a special place in Hell for you all. The universe has a way of coming for morons like you!”

Mirror has approached Boulton’s representative for a comment. The latest from the investigation into Ann Widdecombe’s death has seen the police arrest a 28-year-old white British man in Rotherham, South Yorkshire.

Counter Terrorism Policing South East has said “new information and evidence has come to light” as they are leading the investigation. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood also issued a statement saying: “The police are pursuing multiple lines of enquiry to establish the motivation for this attack. I will be updating the House further this afternoon.”

Police investigating the alleged murder of Ann Widdecombe say there is “nothing to suggest it was politically motivated”.

Devon and Cornwall Police added they are not looking for anyone else in connection with her death, following the arrest of a 28-year-old man in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, on Saturday.

The former Conservative MP, 78, was found with serious injuries at her home in Haytor, Devon, on Thursday.

Politician Ann Widdecombe was found dead at her home with serious injuries, with police confirming a murder investigation is underway.

Politicians from across the political spectrum have paid tribute to the former Conservative MP turned Reform UK spokesperson, expressing shock and sadness over her death.

Widdecombe’s political career spanned decades – she served as MP for Maidstone in Kent for 23 years and worked as a Home Office and employment minister in John Major’s government between 1994 and 1997.

Following news of the police investigation, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said it was “shocking news” and his thoughts were with Widdecombe’s family “at this awful time”.

He said he had spoken to the Speaker of the House of Commons Lindsay Hoyle, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, Reform UK’s Nigel Farage, as well as Andy Burnham, “to urge everybody to come together”.

Badenoch said she was “stunned” and “really struggled to find the words”. She added: “My heart is breaking for her family.”

Likely incoming prime minister Burnham sent his condolences to Widdecombe’s family, and said: “Ann gave a lifetime of public service.”

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood urged the public “to avoid speculation and allow the police investigation to progress”.

In a post on X, she said the circumstances of Widdecombe’s death were “extremely distressing”, adding that her “thoughts are with Ann’s family and loved ones”.

A 26-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder following the death of former MP and government minister Ann Widdecombe.

Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed the man, who is a white British national, was arrested at an address in Newton Abbot, Devon, on Friday and is in custody.

The body of the 78-year-old former Conservative minister and Reform UK spokesperson was found by police with serious injuries at her home in Haytor, a rural village on Dartmoor in Devon, at about 11:40 BST on Thursday.

The incident is not being treated as terrorism, after counter-terror policing was involved as part of “initial enquiries”.

Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman told a news conference on Friday they currently have “no information to believe that that is a politically motivated crime” – and it was “too early” to comment on whether or not the suspect was known to Widdecombe.

He said the investigation was in the early stages and urged anyone with information to come forward.

Widdecombe’s next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers.

The prime minister and other political leaders said they were stunned by the development on Friday afternoon.

Sir Keir Starmer said it was “really shocking”, while Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said she was “stunned to hear this awful news”.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said he was “deeply, deeply upset by the nature of her death”.

Widdecombe’s political career spanned decades. She served as MP for Maidstone in Kent for 23 years, and worked as a Home Office and employment minister in Sir John Major’s government between 1994 to 1997.

After leaving Parliament she embarked on a showbiz career, appearing on Strictly Come Dancing in 2010 and Celebrity Big Brother in 2018.

A staunch supporter of the UK’s departure from the EU, she became an MEP for the Brexit Party, representing South West England in the European Parliament between 2019 and 2020.

In 2023, Widdecombe joined Farage’s Reform UK party, after it changed its name from the Brexit Party, and made a number of appearances as the party’s immigration and justice spokesperson.

Former Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe, who was a Strictly Come Dancing contestant in 2010, has died aged 78

Ann Widdecombe made a trip to the Channel Islands in what would be her final television appearance.

At the time, the former Tory MP delivered a withering assessment of those who “moan” about Brexit.

The star, who famously graced the Strictly dance floor, had attended a Ladies Lunch club in Jersey as guest speaker just weeks before her death, aged 78.

Speaking to ITV, she quipped that Reform UK and the namesake Reform parties in the Channel Islands were “slightly different”.

And when asked to offer one piece of advice to candidates for the region’s forthcoming elections, she said: “Tell the truth. The public doesn’t want you to tell them what you think they want to hear.”

Addressing residents’ concerns on the Islands about the impacts of Brexit, Widdecombe emphasised the significance of “sovereignty”.

“I’d say to them that I believe that Britain should make its own laws, control its own borders, should make its own trade deals which it’s been doing since Brexit.”

She went on to say that “there are huge Brexit benefits” and took aim at those who “moan” about queuing at airport e-gates with her trademark frankness.

“We’re the nation that endured the Blitz, we fought for six years to be free and now you’re saying that it’s worth giving up our sovereignty so you can get through the e-gates quicker? I mean spare me, spare me!”.

Widdecombe also reflected on her stint on the eighth series of Strictly Come Dancing, having appeared on the programme in 2010 when she was partnered with Anton du Beke.

She danced her way through to week nine, delivering some hilarious performances along the way. She said: “Strictly led to a live tour with Craig Revel Horwood, that led to pantomime, that led to an appearance at the Royal Opera House and it just didn’t stop!”

Issuing a statement on her death, her management said: “It is with great sadness that today we announce the death of the Rt Hon Ann Widdecombe, DSG.

“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.

“Ann was a valued patron of many causes, particularly her animal charities. As Ann once said on The Graham Norton Show, ‘we get one go this side of eternity, one go. Life is not a dress rehearsal, you take opportunities that you like and you go for it, that’s my philosophy’.

“We send our deepest condolences to Ann’s family and friends. We ask that the family’s wish not to be contacted at this sad time is respected.”

Martin Mull was best known to audiences for playing comedic characters like Col. Mustard in “Clue” and Gene Parmesan in “Arrested Development,” but a new exhibit opening next year at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art seeks to elevate the role Mull was most proud to inhabit: a respected painter.

“Martin Mull: The Joys of Indoor/Outdoor Living,” co-curated by comedian Steve Martin and Hammer Museum Director Emerita Ann Philbin, comes to SBMA next June and runs through October. It will be the first major museum exhibition of Mull’s artwork in 20 years.

The paintings featured include scenes of unassuming houses visited by otherworldly guests, dead-eyed office workers, gravity-defying displays and lambs being led to the slaughter. They play with perspective, color, space and time to illuminate postwar American tensions, be they racial, political or existential.

“Martin Mull’s work as an artist will certainly be his primary legacy,” Martin said in a statement. “After a full-time career in painting, in the last 20 years of his life with his technical gifts fully developed, Martin’s art coalesced into tight, narrative paintings of a peculiar nature. Combining surreal elements with family idioms, he formed his own worried portrayal of American life.”

Martin Mull’s “Band on the Run,” 2014. Oil on panel.

(Estate of Martin Mull)

The exhibit, which will take over the museum’s 6,000 square feet of main galleries, will feature more than 50 paintings and drawings by Mull, most of which come from the artist’s estate and the private collections of Mull’s entertainment industry colleagues, including Steve Martin, Jennifer Tilly, and Ted and Nicole Sarandos .

The exhibit is the second curatorial collaboration between Martin and Philbin since 2015, when they partnered on “The Idea of North: The Paintings of Lawren Harris” at the Hammer Museum.

Steve Martin and Ann Philbin — at the Hammer Museum gala in 2005 — have been friends and collaborators for years.

(John Shearer / WireImage )

Philbin, who retired from her longtime role as the Hammer’s director in 2024, told The Times via email that the idea behind the Mull show came after she saw one of his paintings in Martin’s dining room.

“Steve talked about how Mull’s painting practice was his deepest passion, despite the fact that his fame was as an actor and comedian. It prompted me to do a little research, and I became very intrigued by his body of work. I wrote to Steve, ‘Martin Mull. There’s something there.’ That’s how the project began,” she said.

Along with Martin and Philbin, the upcoming exhibition is led by SBMA Chief Curator James Glisson and Amada Cruz, the museum’s director and CEO. In a news release, a museum spokesperson said Mull’s work “upsets any storybook picture of perfection” and resists nostalgia while acknowledging its allure.

Martin Mull’s “Envy,” 2008, from the series “Seven Deadly Sins.” Oil on linen.

(Estate of Martin Mull)

“It’s so deeply strange — dark and funny, hopeful and menacing all at once,” Philbin said. “The paintings are about the smoldering tensions that underlie the American dream, so I think it’s a particularly apt moment to bring them back into the public eye.”

Mull, who died in 2024, received his master of fine arts degree in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1967. Though he went on to craft a career in the public eye as a musician, comedian and actor, painting remained his “true vocation.”

Martin, a longtime friend of the multidisciplinary artist, echoed this sentiment in an email to The Times.

“If a comedian says he is also a painter, run. Except this once.”

At the recent glitzy PEN America Literary Gala at the Natural History Museum in New York City the evening’s MC, B.J. Novak, declared that the crowd was there to celebrate more than just freedom of speech — they were there for “literary glamour.”

“Writing is glamorous,” he declared. “Reading is glamorous.”

For Novak, bestselling novelist Ann Patchett — who has also worked tirelessly on behalf of independent booksellers and in support of her fellow writers, and was one of the event’s honored guests — epitomizes that allure. “I think it’s great that Ann Patchett is a smoke show. She doesn’t have to be,” he quipped. “It’s just cool that she is.”

With “Whistler,” Patchett’s 10th novel, she definitively proves that the “smoke show” moniker, if at all relevant, is icing on the cake. This exquisite writer has once again delivered an incandescent work of fiction — sweet, but never sentimental, infinitely wise and suffused with love. It’s also an ode to New York City itself.

“Whistler” is narrated by protagonist Daphne Fuller, a 54-year-old English teacher married to Jonathan, a restlessly retired doctor and hospital administrator who dotes on his wife and whom he regards as “extraordinary.” When we first encounter the couple, they’re roaming the Metropolitan Museum of Art — which, one gets the sense, they know by heart. As Daphne ponders the sculpture “Two Horses,” by Charles Ray, Jonathan spots an elderly stranger eyeing his wife, casting glances in her direction. The stranger follows them from room to room fixated on Daphne. Jonathan’s curiosity is piqued, and he slips away from his wife’s side to get to the bottom of why they’re being followed — which is revealed to be the novel’s inciting incident.

Turns out that stranger is no stranger at all. He is Eddie Triplett, a long-lost stepfather whose divorce from Daphne’s mother, Abigail, remains an unhealed wound. Running into Eddie now for the first time in more than four decades, Daphne is startled by the rush of emotion she feels: “I hadn’t known there was something in me to break,” she reflects, “but there it was and break it did. I stepped into an open crack in time and fell backwards.”

Eddie, as it happens, is but one of Daphne and her sister, Leda’s, three dads. By the time Abigail marries her third husband, mild-mannered Lucas, and the couple go on to have three sons, Daphne has grown a protective shell. These facts are narrated with detachment by the protagonist herself. As she and Eddie gently unspool their memories and together fill in the blanks, their bond deepens. The “falling backwards” Daphne experiences in Eddie’s company — traversing time — soothes, softens and delights her.

As the novel unfolds, what becomes ever clearer is that Daphne and her author are undeniably similar, though Patchett has observed: “I am normally careful to make sure there is a big wall between my life and my fiction.” In “Whistler,” she throws that caution to the wind. Easter eggs are scattered throughout. Like Daphne, Patchett is married to an older man — also a doctor — whom she adores. She too had three dads, as she chronicled in a 2020 New Yorker piece aptly titled “My Three Fathers.” Patchett and her heroine also appear to share this enviable trait: They navigate life with grace, generosity and utter competence. IRL, Patchett returns emails on the day she receives them, is an outspoken advocate for free expression, is generally renowned for her good deeds. She’s also widely known for her many devoted friendships, though she doesn’t suffer fools. You’d want to be her ride or die. As you would … Daphne’s.

In an interview 10 years ago, Patchett observed that it wasn’t until she read a piece by Jonathan Franzen, “in which he insisted that the novelist had to do what scares him most, and for him, that had been writing about his family,” that she considered following that path in her fiction. “I thought ‘oh nothing would scare me more. I would happily ride down the Amazon in a canoe and deal with snakes’ ” (as she did for “State of Wonder”) “ ‘than face my family.’ ” In 2016 she wrote “Commonwealth,” which drew on her personal experience of divorce and dysfunction, themes she revisits in “Whistler.” But in “Whistler,” it’s as if Patchett herself is in the reader’s ear. (And, by the way, should you pick up the audio version of the book, she narrates and is literally in your ear.)

Patchett has said she had an ulterior motive for writing “Whistler.” She’d been in the midst of writing a different book, a novel about a Wyoming rancher and her horse, Whistler, but it wasn’t clicking. As she pressed on over the better part of a year, a second idea came to her “like a fever dream.” She immediately filed away the messy work-in-progress and began writing a fictional ode to a cherished friend, former publishing executive Jim Fox, to whom “Whistler” is dedicated. Fox had died two years before, on his 85th birthday, and Patchett was still grieving. Her aim, with “Whistler,” she has said, is to put down on paper how much they loved each other. Fox is reborn as Eddie Triplett in the book, a charming and erudite book editor who radiates joie de vivre and is among the loves of his stepdaughter Daphne’s life.

Patchett’s literary style isn’t of the show-offy variety packed with dazzling sentences and edge-of-your-seat cliffhangers. The drama is quiet. Her words accrue and gain power through their spareness and clarity, and a level of character development that forges an easy intimacy with the reader. There’s also a sly wit and sagacity that have become Patchett signatures, honed to perfection in “Whistler,” whether wrestling with the legacy of family trauma, or the human struggle to accept the transitory nature of it all. Or, as Patchett’s mother once admonished after the failure of her daughter’s first marriage: “Stop trying to make everything permanent. It doesn’t work.”

While Patchett has clearly drawn on actual events and individuals to produce this luminous work, she exhibits the expert novelist’s knack for following a plot where the imagination takes it. I don’t recommend consuming “Whistler” in one enormous gulp. I dipped in and out, savoring scenes, reflecting on them, occasionally shedding a tear. In other words, I didn’t want it to end.

Haber is a writer, editor and publishing strategist and co-founder of the Ink Book Club on Substack. She was director of Oprah’s Book Club and books editor for O, the Oprah Magazine.