Anton Du Beke has paid an emotional tribute to his former Strictly Come Dancing partner Ann Widdecombe following her death, describing the news as “the saddest” he had heard.
The BBC Strictly judge shared a heartfelt video on Instagram after it was announced the former Conservative MP and television personality had died at the age of 78.
Speaking directly to fans, Mr Du Beke reflected on the close friendship the pair developed during their memorable partnership on the BBC dance competition in 2010.
“The saddest of news I’ve heard, the passing of the lovely Ann Widdecombe,” he said.
Ann Widdecombe has passed away aged 78
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GETTY
“I had the most brilliant time with Ann on Strictly Come Dancing.
“She became a real friend. She was fun, she was upbeat, she was positive, she was supportive, she wanted to enter into the spirit of the whole thing and we had an incredible time together.”
The dancer concluded his tribute by adding: “My thoughts go out to all of her nearest and dearest, all of her family.
“This is a sad day and I’m devastated by the news of Ann’s passing, but I shall remember her fondly and miss her.”
Anton Du Beke has paid an emotional tribute to his former Strictly Come Dancing partner
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GETTY
Alongside the video, Mr Du Beke wrote he was speaking “on behalf of myself and the whole @bbcstrictly family”, adding: “We are devastated by the news and our thoughts go out to her nearest and dearest and her whole family.
“We will all remember her fondly and miss her.”
Fans quickly flooded the comments with messages of support.
One wrote: “You were the first person I thought about when I heard the news.”
Another commented: “Thought of you right away when I saw the news. She’ll maybe be dancing up there with the lovely Len.”
A third added: “What a lovely tribute Anton. Her partnership with you was really special,” while another praised the pair for bringing “so much joy” to viewers during their time on the show.
Earlier on Friday, broadcaster and longtime friend Gyles Brandreth also reflected on Ms Widdecombe’s bond with Du Beke during an appearance on This Morning.
Mr Brandreth, who first met Ms Widdecombe at university, joked the professional dancer was “the love of her life” following their partnership on Strictly.
Anton Du Beke said the whole BBC Strictly family was ‘devastated’ by the news of Ann Widdecombe’s death
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PA“When she did Strictly with Anton… I think she really fell in love with him,” he said, prompting laughter from the ITV panel before host Dermot O’Leary quipped that even Ms Widdecombe had fallen victim to the so-called “Strictly curse”.
Ms Widdecombe and Mr Du Beke became one of the programme’s most memorable pairings during the 2010 series, surviving week after week thanks to overwhelming public support despite consistently low scores from the judges.
Ann Widdecombe and Anton Du Beke became fan favourites on Strictly Come Dancing in 2010
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BBC
Later on Friday, Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed they had launched a murder investigation into Ms Widdecombe’s death after she was found with serious injuries at her home in Haytor, Dartmoor.
A 26-year-old man has now been arrested and remains in custody.