I dreaded meeting controversial MP Ann Widdecombe but Strictly's 'dancing granny' had me in hysterics with her tales of fearing Anton Du Beke, winning over Craig Revel Horwood and comparing the show to war - after pivoting from politics to reality TV icon

The political world is in mourning today following the death of Ann Widdecombe, an outspoken MP who served the Conservative Party, Brexit Party, Reform UK and was also a Member of the European Parliament. 

Yet in recent years, Ann reinvented herself as pop culture icon, making a name for herself in reality TV circles before her death at the age of 78.  

So when I was tasked with interviewing Ann back in 2022, I didn't really know what to expect. 

Sure, she had made me and millions of others laugh during her legendary stint on Strictly, but I'll admit that some of the comments she'd made in the past had raised a brow. 

Indeed, Ann was known for her no-nonsense approach to politics and refusal to mince her words, famously defending gay conversion therapy, comparing Brexit to 'slaves against their owners', and converting to Catholicism after disagreeing with the Anglican church's decision to allow women priests. 

So when the time came for me to chat with her about her time on the BBC dance show I was hardly surprised when Ann immediately brought up politics. 

We were speaking over Zoom, but Ann had struggled to log on using the details and passwords we had sent her, having increased cybersecurity following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war.  

When she eventually managed to join she immediately began making jokes about the Russians attempting to hack into her computer, noting what a mess the state of the world was in but that thankfully Strictly was on to lift the nation's spirits. 

Strictly had proved to be a gamechanger for Ann, who reached week 10 of the competition with Anton Du Beke in 2010. 

During her time on the show, Ann delighted viewers as she was spun - or perhaps more accurately pushed - around the dancefloor by Anton. 

She quickly became a fan favourite with her entertaining and theatrical routines, instantly becoming a popular meme and gif on social media. 

Her newfound pop culture status saw her snapped up for shows such as The Crystal Maze and Antiques Roadshow, and of course a stint on Celebrity Big Brother. 

She continued to delight viewers during her time on the show, with her iconic moments including her stoic reaction while R&B singer Ginuwine performed his steamy hit Pony, and when she tried in vain to tame her hair with a hair straightener.

Yet my chat with Ann was focused on Strictly, with our interview taking place shortly before the 2022 finale, which ultimately saw Hamza Yassin and Jowita Przystał lift the Glitterball Trophy. 

Reflecting on her own stint on the show, Ann was suitably self-deprecating, admitting she had never watched the show before taking part but thought it would be a good laugh. 

'It was a bit baffling actually, because this is supposed to be a dance competition and I said, "I can't dance",' she recalled. 'Not only can I not dance, but I'm tone deaf, so I couldn't hear what the music is telling me to do... but they [producers] said that didn't matter'. 

She told me that her friends had all told her she'd end up with Anton - who became known for taking on the less experienced contestants - but that when the celebrities and professionals first met for group rehearsals, she convinced herself it wouldn't be the case. 

Ann recalled: 'I thought that won't happen because he's tall. I mean, we're at opposite ends of the growth scale, so to speak. But it did, and it was wonderful.'

The chemistry between the pair was instant, with Ann revealing that within two hours of their first private rehearsal Anton had turned to her advised 'I think the less time you spend with your feet on the floor the better.'

Chuckling, she recalled: 'viewers would have noticed he did lifting, spinning, dragging, flying, and I stood rock still while he danced round me.

'But during ballroom he couldn't do any of that because we were in hold, so he just used to push me and pull me and guide me and mutter through his stomach like a ventriloquist.' 

Full of praise for Anton, who now serves a judge on the show, she added: 'He had more than his fair share of duffers. 

'The poor guy is so good with the hopeless that they just used to put the bad dancers with him the whole time. I mean, somebody like Brendan [Cole] would probably have lost his rack after two weeks of trying to deal with me!' 

Ann also insisted that she was unfazed by some Strictly fans' comments that she shouldn't have made it as far as she did in the competition, Ann stressed: 'It's a family entertainment programme!

'If it was a virtuoso dancing program and nothing else, then it wouldn't be on primetime, it would be on BBC Sport or something.' 

Ann - who never married or had children - went on to note that the greatest compliment for her was when she was approached by a Strictly fan in the street. 

She revealed the fan had told her that she watched the show with her four-year-old child, who would always ask 'where is the granny, mummy? I want that granny to win!' 

As for her highlight on the show, Ann revealed it was the 'flying', with the MP, then 63, famously descending from the ceiling on a trapeze to open the tango, a move that saw her dubbed 'Starship Widdecombe' by judge Bruno Tonioli. 

'I've got a terrible fear of heights so I wasn't actually enjoying it,' Ann recalled. 'But I knew that it was something different and would get us through the next round. 

'Indeed, Len Goodman said, "well, it all went very well until you landed!" but that was the only week I actually got a respectable mark from any of them.' 

Ann continued: 'Actually my greatest achievement was making Craig laugh because in real life he's a lovely guy, but he does his hard man act.

'He does this ferocious, hard man bitterly critical act and therefore doesn't smile. But I made him smile on the second programme. He couldn't help himself.' 

For my final question, I asked Ann if she had any advice for the 2022 finalists - Hamza, Fleur East, Molly Rainford and Helen Skelton. 

In typical Ann fashion, she expressed that it was important not to take things too seriously. 

'This is a dance competition, this is not a world war!' she laughed. 'Nobody is going to die. The future of mankind is not going to be knocked off its course because you lost Strictly Come Dancing.  

'So I would say congratulations on getting this far, thoroughly enjoy it, and don't take it seriously.'

It's a mantra that Ann seemed to carry throughout her life. 

As while she may have stirred up some controversies during her time in the public eye, she also lived a life that many of us aspire for - one without regrets.