Anton Du Beke puts on a brave face at Henley Festival as he is seen just hours after a murder investigation is launched into the tragic death of his friend Ann Widdecombe

Anton Du Beke put on a brave face at Henley Festival on Friday, just hours after a murder investigation was launched into the death of his friend, Ann Widdecombe. 

The ex–Tory prisons minister was found dead at her home in Haytor on Dartmoor on Thursday after sustaining serious injuries aged 78.

Anton, 59, and Ann formed a close friendship after she was partnered with him on the 2010 series of Strictly Come Dancing. 

The professional dancer had paid tribute to Ann and said he was 'devastated' by her passing. 

Anton attended the third day of Henley Festival where Lulu headlined the stage, followed by ABBA homage band, Björn Again. 

There was also comedy from Russell Kane. 

Taking to Instagram prior to the news of the murder probe, Anton said: 'Hi my loves. Well the saddest of news I've heard today and that's the passing of the lovely Ann Widdecombe.

'I have to tell you, 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. And we stayed firm friends.

'My thoughts go out to all of her nearest and dearest, and all 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 and Ann famously made it onto week ten of Strictly back in 2010 and remained in touch. 

The former Conservative Party minister's death was first announced by her agent on Friday morning and there had been no suggestion of anything other than natural causes.

On Friday afternoon Devon and Cornwall Police said officers had begun a murder inquiry into Ann's death.

On Saturday, Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed that a 26-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murdering the former MP was released from custody.

The force said that the investigation was 'moving at a significant pace' and that they were 'deploying all of the necessary resources to find out exactly what has happened'.

Officers are reportedly viewing CCTV from Ann's property for clues and there remains a large police presence in the area.   

Ann, who was unmarried and had lived alone since her retirement in 2010, was last seen during an interview on Talk TV at around 8am the previous day. 

She had been scheduled to appear on Jeremy Vine's Channel 5 show later that morning but failed to appear.

In a post on X Channel 5 presenter Dan Walker said that Ann had been due to appear on 5 Daytime on Wednesday afternoon 'but stopped responding to messages and didn't turn up for the show'. 

He added: 'The team contacted her agent to ask them to check in on her. This information has been passed to police as it's part of the investigation.' 

Her family became worried when they were unable to raise her on the phone. Police were called around 11.40am on Thursday after the gardener discovered her body in the kitchen of the bungalow in Haytor. 

On Friday night, a source close to the family said: 'We're in total shock and disbelief. It was hard enough to find out we'd lost Ann – but we still have yet to come to terms with the fact that she died in such brutal circumstances. Perhaps we never will. 

'She was a little, frail old lady. What we find most difficult of all is that she must have been in abject terror for the last minutes of her life.'