Police say Widdecombe was found dead with serious injuries at her home in Haytor, a village on Dartmoor, on Thursday morning when officers were called by the ambulance service.
Widdecombe’s death was announced on Friday morning by her management team, but there was no information about when, how or where she died, and no detail on any suspicious circumstances.
The statement said in part: “We know this news will come as a great shock to the many colleagues and friends she made along the way.”
Later on Friday afternoon, police issued a statement saying they had launched a murder investigation and released details of a suspect.
Widdecombe’s management team then released another statement, saying they were “absolutely devastated” by news of the police investigation “following a very traumatic and upsetting 24 hours”.