Ann Widdecombe, a erstwhile Conservative curate who defected to Reform UK, has died aged 78.
She was a household sanction adjacent earlier she reinvented herself arsenic a world TV star, with a precocious illustration spell connected Strictly Come Dancing, known for her forthright views and no-nonsense attitude.
A starring fig connected the close of British authorities for decades, and an enthusiastic aboriginal backer of Brexit, she signed up for Strictly successful 2010, soon aft leaving Parliament, having represented the Kent constituency of Maidstone for much than 20 years.
Not the astir polished dancer - she described her ain moves arsenic "galumphing" - she made it to the semi-final earlier being knocked out.
Her quality footwear started a showbiz vocation which besides saw her instrumentality portion successful Celebrity Big Brother and prima successful panto arsenic the Evil Queen successful Snow White.
Widdecombe was calved successful Bath, Somerset, successful 1947 and went connected to survey Latin astatine Birmingham University, past Philosophy, Politics and Economics astatine Oxford University, earlier being elected arsenic a Runnymede District councillor.
She was a subordinate of the Conservative Christian Fellowship and held staunchly socially blimpish views, opposing abortion, assisted dying and cheery rights and supporting the reintroduction of the decease penalty.
First elected arsenic an MP successful 1987, she faced cruel comments astir her appearance, with 1 paper calling her "Doris Karloff" - a notation to an aged Hollywood fearfulness star.
But she brushed disconnected the barbs, saying: "I americium toothy, dumpy, ugly, overweight, a spinster – what the hell."
She was besides not shy of criticising her Conservative colleagues, famously describing the past location caput Michael Howard arsenic having "something of the nighttime astir him".
Despite being 1 of the fewer pistillate MPs successful Parliament successful the 1980s, she had small clip for feminists, describing them arsenic "whingers".
Reflecting connected her governmental vocation successful 2016, she said: "I ne'er went circular looking for problems truthful I ne'er recovered them. The lone occupation I recovered arsenic a pistillate MP were determination were insufficient loos."
A keen-animal lover, she was besides 1 of the fewer Conservative MPs who opposed fox-hunting.
Her devotion to animals led to her mounting up a conception of of her website, the Widdyweb, for the favored cats she has lived with, adopting goats and becoming the patron of a donkey sanctuary.
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