Whirling Widdie was my greatest moment!

IT WAS the dance that made Strictly unmissable – former Tory minister Ann Widdecombe clad in canaryyellow feathers performing a jaw-dropping samba.

But the highlight of the 2010 show, above, watched by more than 11 million viewers, very nearly never happened, according to her partner in TV history, 51-year-old Anton du Beke. ‘That was the most legendary moment in the history of Strictly,’ the professional ballroom dancer tells today’s Magazine.

‘We did it as a joke in rehearsals and she wanted to do it for real. I said, “No, no Ann, we can’t do that live, my love. You’re a serious woman, a politician.” I was thinking of her reputation. But she absolutely insisted.

‘She forced me to do it. The audience was roaring, the judges were sitting there stunned. Even the cameramen were shaking with laughter. It took every ounce of discipline for me to keep a straight face but it’s the one moment everyone still talks about.’