Former Conservative minister turned Reform UK spokeswoman Ann Widdecombe has died aged 78.

Widdecombe's political career spanned decades, serving as MP for Maidstone in Kent for 23 years, before going on to join Reform UK.

She 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 2019-2020.

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

Following news of her death, Farage credited Widdecombe for playing a "decisive role" in getting Brexit "over the line".

"When Ann Widdecombe decided to stand for The Brexit Party in the snap 2019 European Elections, it was a big moment and huge boost. The voters loved her," he wrote in a post on X, adding she would be "missed by us all".

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch described Widdecombe as a "formidable politician who was never afraid to speak her mind and fought hard for what she believed".

Tory MP and former party leader Iain Duncan Smith said she expressed her views "strongly and straight, which was refreshing in many senses and sometimes difficult".

By appearing on Strictly turn, he said she discovered "a new lease of life, an inner Ann that we never had any sight of at all".

Former Conservative MP and friend Gyles Brandreth described her as "a curious mix of Danny de Vito and Margaret Rutherford".

"We met when we were both 19 and remained friends because she was fun and kind - even when you disagreed with her fiercely."

Lord Howard, a former Conservative leader who clashed with Widdecombe when they were both ministers at the Home Office, told BBC Radio Kent she was a "feisty lady" and a "good minister".

Widdecombe famously described him as having "something of the night about him".

Lord Howard acknowledged they had had "our ups and downs" but later "made up".

Speaking on Friday morning, health secretary James Murray said Widdecombe "was never shy of having quite firm views and sharing them quite willingly".

"I can't say I always agreed with her views, but she was such a part of our politics," the Labour minister told Times Radio, adding "everyone can recognise the contribution that she made to politics" and public life.

In a statement, her agent Cloud 9 Management said her life and career were "driven by her strong Christian values and commitment to public service".

They added that Widdecombe loved the "cut and thrust of political debate" and despite leaving Parliament 16 years ago, was "still actively campaigning for Reform UK".

"For many, of course, she will be best (or worst?) remembered for her unforgettable appearances on Strictly Come Dancing, defying the judges week-after-week as the public delighted in her unsuccessful attempts to follow the choreography of the long-suffering Anton Du Beke," the statement went on to say.

The former Tory minister became a favourite with viewers when she appeared on the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing in 2010.

One judge likened her to a "Dalek in drag" but her popularity with the audience took her to the semi-finals.

She described her 10 weeks on the show as "magnificent" and life-enhancing".

During her parliamentary career, Widdecombe, a staunch Catholic, often sparked controversy due to her socially conservative views, including opposing abortion and comments about the LGBT community.

In 2019, the former minister received backlash after suggesting science might one day "produce an answer" to being gay.

In the 1990s she converted to Catholicism, a move she later described as the best decision she ever made.

She told The Times newspaper: "To have a church which calls a sin a sin and has done with it is a blessed relief."

During her political career, faced cruel comments about her appearance, with newspapers calling her "Doris Karloff", a reference to the old Hollywood horror movie star, Boris Karloff.

However, she breezily dismissed the jibes saying: "I am toothy, dumpy, ugly, overweight, a spinster – what the hell."