Inside Robin Windsor's darkest health battle before brave move sparked recovery

20 February 2024 , 13:56

599     0

Robin Windsor spoke candidly about his struggles with his mental health

Robin Windsor made the brave decision to seek help after experiencing some heartbreaking setbacks.

The former Strictly Come Dancing professional, who sadly died at the age of 44, joined the beloved BBC dance competition in 2010 but was devastatingly forced to quit just four years later. The Ballroom and Latin pro was paired with Patsy Kensit, Anita Dobson, Lisa Riley and Deborah Meaden during his time on the show.

It was a painful back injury that rendered him unable to compete in 2014 and he was never asked to return - but his love of dance continued and it helped him overcome some tough times. Robin's death was confirmed by a dance company today, with no details regarding the date of his passing or the cause of his death shared as of yet.

Strictly Come Dancing star Robin has sadly died at the age of 44 (Men)

Robin's final photo on Instagram was captioned 'Hiding in the shadows' (Instagram)

In 2020, Robin spoke on Dr Max's Mind Clinic podcast about his experiences of anxiety and depression, and how he dealt with his demons to encourage others to do so too. He opened up: "I suffered quite a lot during my time on Strictly - four things happened to me that were quite bad in my life. I had a financial situation and got a bill for £110,000. It took everything I ever had.

"Then my engagement ended. I started having trouble with my back and I lost my job on Strictly. All of those caused me to go from the highest point in my life to the lowest quite quickly." The star was left with no choice but to leave the show after suffering a slipped disc in his back, as carrying on could've left him with permanent damage and in a wheelchair.

England star Joe Marler reflects on lowest point after fight with pregnant wife

Coupled with the end of his engagement to Davide Cini, and having to use his life savings to pay off a hefty bill to HMRC, Robin said his mental health started to suffer. It became so bad that he couldn't get out of bed. Robin said his "bad days turned to dark days". He told the podcast: "I always had a smile on my face so people wouldn't know... I didn't tell people things were going wrong."

Robin spoke bravely about the moment he "didn't know how to cope anymore" and how it spurred him on to "seek some help". The dancer leaned on supportive friends; started therapy and bought a book, The Velvet Rage, about 'overcoming the pain of growing up gay in a straight man's world', which resonated with him.

Robin became great friends with Lisa Riley after their Strictly partnership (Getty)

Robin with his ex-partner Marcus Collins, who was a finalist on The X Factor

He credited his love of dancing with keeping him 'sane' during his darkest times and said he could forget everything that was going on in his personal life when the curtains opened on the dance floor.

Robin also turned to mental health charity Sane for support. He was back on the road by 2015, in the touring theatre production of 'Puttin' On The Ritz', and later launched his own firm offering corporate motivational speaking services and corporate team-building events.

Three weeks before his death, Robin posted a haunting final photo on Instagram in which he spoke about "hiding" and "darkness". The dancer could be seen standing against a black wall while wearing an all-black outfit in the image and wrote beneath his selfie: "Hiding in the shadows."

His friend and current Strictly choreographer Patrick Helm touched on Robin's self-esteem after the news of his death was announced, and declared: "You were loved by so many... but couldn't see it."

The dancer's death was announced by Burn The Floor on Facebook in the early hours of Tuesday, with the dance company telling fans: "The Burn the Floor family has lost one of its founding members, Robin 'Bobby' Windsor - who has tragically passed away.

"A BTF journeyman he danced with us for twenty years - including Broadway, The West End and all our crazy adventures around the world. His stunning image attached with Jessica Raffa defined our company, colourful, extreme and sensual. His talent, attitude, energy and personality helped create the Burn the Floor stage reputation. He leaves a void in our hearts that will never be filled, yet our wonderful memories will stay forever."

If you are struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively you can email [email protected] or visit their site to find your local branch.

Nia Dalton