Good old Ann....Widdecombe, that is...

Yes, she told me, she DID watch herself back several times and LIKED it! For its entertainment value. Okay, I was an elephant, she says, but I loved every minute of it. And she agreed to take part in the Strictly Come Dancing tour in the New Year BECAUSE they promised she would be partnered by her most critical judge, Craig Revel Horwood.

I've interviewed Ann many times, and she's even interviewed me (for a documentary she was making about weight-loss) over the years - and we've even exchanged a few cross words. But I admire the woman's guts to stand up for herself and her often irascible views throughout a career in politics and a second career in the showbusiness spotlight, which was possibly even more unkind.

Today, a Daily Mail headline writer mused: "Ann Widdecombe's exit felt a little bit like putting a much loved family pet out of its misery" But this morning on my radio show, she saw the funny side, and vowed that she would consider more reality TV if she liked the format. She's consistently turned down "Big Brother" and "I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here!" but reckons there is more fun to be had somehow, somewhere.

I applaud her. We're not all Cheryl Coles in this world. There's many an undiscovered Cinderella out there - like Ann Widdecombe!

Have a listen to the interview on the iplayer, it's 2 hours into my show today.