This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

A one-woman show by the new Brexit party MEP Ann Widdecombe has been cancelled in protest at her apparent endorsement of gay conversion therapy.

The former Conservative minister and reality TV star was due to appear at the Landmark theatre in Ilfracombe, Devon, next March.

But Selladoor, the company which runs the theatre, pulled the booking after Widdecombe told Sky News on Sunday that science might “produce an answer” to being gay.

David Hutchinson, the chief executive of Selladoor, said he was disgusted by Widdecombe’s comments.

On Tuesday the Brexit party leader, Nigel Farage, defended Widdecombe’s comments as a “matter of conscience”. But Hutchinson said her remarks were indefensible and refused to “provide a stage for these vile people”.

He tweeted: “Took no time in immediately cancelling her planned ‘evening with’ event at one of our Selladoor venues.”

David Hutchinson (@DaveHutchinson_) Absolutely disgusted at Ann Widdecombe’s comments over the weekend. Took no time in immediately cancelling her planned ‘evening with’ event at one of our @SelladoorVenues. We will never provide a stage for these vile people.https://t.co/IpcU7y90e6

He told the Stage that the show was booked before Widdecombe announced she would stand as an MEP for the Brexit party.

He said: “Following her disgusting gay therapy comments over the weekend, my programming team and I immediately decided to cancel the scheduled event as we flatly refuse to offer a stage to someone who wishes to promote such vile opinion.”

Nigel Farage defends Ann Widdecombe over gay therapy comments Read more

He added: “We welcome everyone in the community to our theatres, and operate a fully inclusive and respectful approach to programming. We don’t seek to prevent discussions where there might be differences in opinion – but in this case, there is no discussion to be had. Ann’s comments are divisive, disrespectful and foolishly ignorant.”

Widdecombe has not commented since her widely criticised remarks on Sunday. She told Sky’s Sophy Ridge: “The fact that we think it is now quite impossible for people to switch sexuality doesn’t mean that science might not be able to produce an answer at some stage.”

Hutchinson said statements like that “promote and fuel discrimination” and added: “We will not be complicit in providing a stage to air such views.”

Widdecombe’s next performances of her one-woman show, Strictly Ann: An Evening With Ann Widdecombe, are due to go ahead in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, next Tuesday and in Altrincham next Wednesday.