Strictly stars unite for emotional Robin Windsor tribute after dancer’s tragic death

Robin Windsor, who was a professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing from 2010 to 2013 and was found dead in February at the age of 44 following a years-long battle with depression

Strictly Come Dancing stars united for an emotional tribute to Robin Windsor following the dancer’s tragic death.

The former professional dancer, 44, was found dead in February after a long battle with depression, and his life was celebrated at a star-studded event - Robin Windsor: The Final Act - in London on Sunday evening. Hosted by Emmerdale Lisa Riley, who formed a close friendship with Robin after they were partnered together on Strictly in 2012, she paid tribute to the dancer as she hoped Robin would “shine down on us all and keep shining in heaven”.

Strictly judge Anton Du Beke was on hand to co-host the evening at London's Theatre Royal Drury Lane, and he compared Robin to the show’s iconic trophy as he called him a “human Glitterball”. Other stars on hand to pay tribute to Robin were Strictly stars Gorka Márquez, Joanne Clifton and Vincent Simone, as well as Lauren Oakley, and Aljaz Skorjanec with his wife Janette Manrara.

Robin’s former Strictly celebrity dance partners were also in attendance, with Deborah Meadon, who danced with him in 2013, and Anita Dobson, who was partnered with him in 2011, spotted at the heartbreaking event. Former Strictly dancer Pasha Kovalev organised the tribute along with Anya Garnis with the permission of Robin’s family, and all the profits from the evening’s silent auction were donated to the mental health charity Sane, which Robin worked closely with.

Bringing the tear-jerking night to a close, Lisa told the audience: “The important message is to keep talking and look out for your friends,” as Anton added: “Fellas don’t talk and tend to keep it to themselves. Get it out lads, speak to Sane.” Other famous faces at the fundraising event included former Strictly contestants Linda Robson, Dr Ranj Singh, Pixie Lott and Angela Rippon, who performed with Kai Widdrington during the evening.

Before his death, Robin had bravely spoken about his battle with depression, and he said being let go from Strictly in 2014 had a huge impact on his mental wellbeing. He struggled with a back injury and after undergoing surgery, he discovered bosses had decided to let him go after just three years. Robin spoke to Sane about his mental health at the time, and said he was forced to reach out to the charity when it became too much for him to deal with.

“That was probably the worst thing that could have ever happened to me because it took away what I loved the most. I loved being on Strictly more than anybody who was there. I got to dance and show 13 million people every single week what it was that I love to do. So, once that was taken away from me, I went into quite a steady decline,” he told Sane last year.

“And, I know we all have our dark days, but my dark days turned into dark weeks and I wouldn’t get out of bed. I didn’t really understand why I was feeling like that or how to get out of that state,” Robin explained. He said someone from Sane reached out to him on social media after he shared a few worrying posts on Twitter, and thanked them for their support at his lowest point. “I then started to find somebody who could help me to talk to and the moment I started talking about it all, everything just started to get better,” he shared.

*If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email jo@samaritans.org or visit their site to find your local branch

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