Former Strictly Come Dancing professional Robin Windsor has died at the age of 44. The news was announced in the early hours of Tuesday morning by Burn the Floor, a dance company of which Robin was one of the founders.
“The Burn the Floor family has lost one of its founding members, Robin ‘Bobby’ Windsor – who has tragically passed away,” the statement began. “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.”
Robin, who was born in Ipswich, Suffolk, began dancing aged three and at 15 years old moved to London to pursue his dream of becoming a dancer.
He first joined Strictly back in 2010 during its eighth series and was paired with actress Patsy Kensit.
Robin, who had a professional partnership with fellow Kristina Rihanoff both on and off the Strictly ballroom floor, performed with the likes of Anita Dobson, Lisa Riley and Deborah Meaden during his time on the BBC programme.
© GettyTributes pour in
Tributes poured in for the dancer, including from former Strictly professional James Jordan, who shared his heartbreak on social media. “I had the pleasure of working with this man for many years on Strictly – I have such fond memories of him,” he penned. “He was always very caring and fun to be around. Everyone who came in contact with him adored him, from his celebrity partners to his working colleagues. You will be missed old friend.”
Good Morning Britain‘s Susanna Reid, who danced with Robin back in 2011 during a Strictly special for Children in Need, also shared her devastation while covering the story on Tuesday’s programme. Describing the news as “such a shock”, she said of Robin: “I fell in love with him and I fell in love with dancing. He was just so enthusiastic about dancing. I just adored him.
© Instagram“He was the most incredible personality. There’s something very special about him,” she added.
Robin’s mental health struggles
Robin was very open about his mental health struggles over the years and fell into a “dark depression” following his departure from Strictly.
While he struggled with “bouts of depression” when he was 19 years old, his mental health began to deteriorate when he faced financial difficulties during his time on Strictly.
“During my time on Strictly, four things happened to me that were quite bad,” he explained during an appearance on the Dr Max’s Mind Clinic podcast. “I had a bit of a financial situation with HMRC and I got a bill for £110,000. It took everything that I’d ever saved. It was my fault, and it was something that I hadn’t done. Thankfully I had the money but it was everything I ever had.
© @robinwindsor/Instagram“Then my engagement ended and I then started having trouble with my back and had to have surgery. Then I lost my job on Strictly. So all those four things in a short period time caused me to go from the highest point of my life to the lowest quite quickly,” he continued.
“The world just kept throwing things at me and eventually I couldn’t take it anymore. My bad days turned to dark days and then they turned to weeks and then it just went black,” he explained. “I just wasn’t getting out of bed.
“It’s funny, I always had a smile on my face, so people wouldn’t know.”
Robin went on to explain that after experiencing suicidal thoughts, he decided to seek help and began to work alongside a mental health charity called SANE. He became an ambassador for the organisation in 2018.
Nicky Morris
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