Strictly Come Dancing professional Anton Du Beke has been left 'devastated' by the death of his friend, former Tory MP Ann Widdecombe, who was found dead at her home17:24, 11 Jul 2026Updated 17:29, 11 Jul 2026Anton du Beke has been photographed attending a summer event, just hours after sharing his heartbreak over the death of his former Strictly Come Dancing partner Ann Widdecombe.‌Ann was found dead at her bungalow in Haytor, a village on Dartmoor, Devon on Thursday morning. The former Conservative MP, who later became a Brexit Party MEP and subsequently a Reform UK spokesperson, lived in the property alone. She was reportedly discovered covered in blood after sustaining at least one serious head wound.‌Anton smiled for the cameras at the Henley Festival in Berkshire, posing for photographers and mingling with fellow guests despite what will no doubt have been an incredibly difficult few days. Dressed smartly for the star-studded evening, Anton appeared relaxed as he made his way into the festival, where a host of celebrities gathered for one of the summer's biggest social events.‌The appearance came shortly after Anton broke his silence on Ann's death, with police since confirming they are treating the case as a murder investigation. Detectives are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding her death, with a man arrested on suspicion of murder on Friday.News of Ann's death prompted an outpouring of tributes from those who knew and worked alongside her over the years, with Anton among the first to publicly share his grief.‌The pair formed an unlikely friendship when they competed together on Strictly Come Dancing in 2010. Ann, already well known for her outspoken political career, was partnered with Anton for the BBC competition despite openly admitting she had little natural dancing ability.Although they regularly found themselves near the bottom of the judges' leaderboard, they became one of the series' most memorable partnerships thanks to their humour and obvious affection for one another. Their performances often divided opinion, but viewers embraced their partnership, and the pair remained close long after the glitterball had stopped spinning.Reflecting on Ann's death, Anton said: "Hi, my loves, the saddest of news we’ve heard today of the passing of the lovely Ann Widdecombe. 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 was game - she wanted to enter into the spirit of the whole thing and we had an incredible time together."On behalf of myself and the whole @bbcstrictly family, 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. Anton x."Ann first rose to prominence as a Conservative MP before becoming a familiar face on British television. Alongside her political career, she appeared on programmes including Celebrity Big Brother and, later, Strictly Come Dancing, where she won over many viewers with her determination and self-deprecating humour despite her lack of dance experience.‌Strictly judge Craig Revel Horwood also paid tribute following the news of Ann's death.Taking to Instagram , Craig, 61, posted a picture of himself in drag with Anne in costume, it read: "After Anne’s time on Strictly Come Dancing , I had the privilege of working with her for several years on theatre tours and a variety of other projects. During that time, I came to know a woman who bore little resemblance to many of the assumptions I had once made about her."In his post, Craig also referenced how their clash in political views didn't effect their friendship.‌He added: "Despite the seemingly irreconcilable differences in our political views, I grew to admire and care for her enormously. Anne was warm, wickedly funny, deeply intelligent, and a genuinely joyous presence to be around.Article continues below"Beneath the formidable public persona was a kind and generous spirit, and someone I am proud to have called a friend. What happened to her is unimaginably cruel. No one deserves such a horrific end. Rest in peace, darling Anne. You will be greatly missed.”Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .