The ballroom world is mourning as new details emerge regarding the final days of beloved dancer Robin Windsor.
Following a formal inquest, heartbreaking evidence has come to light suggesting the star felt deeply cast aside after his departure from the limelight. His story serves as a poignant reminder of the hidden emotional toll that often follows a high-profile career transition.
Before his life ended at 44 in 2024, Robin Windsor wrote of how being cast aside by the BBC 'destroyed me'. The former Strictly star explained that this experience 'started me on the road I'm still on' in a touching final letter.
The depth of Windsor's resentment toward the BBC for his 2015 exit was uncovered in two letters found at the scene, according to evidence given at the inquest. In an emotional testimony, his dance partner, Kristina Rihanoff, wept as she recounted that a back injury caused the star to change 'significantly.' She further took aim at the programme, labelling it a 'very lonely space' where contestants and pros found 'not much support.'
Between 2010 and 2013, the 44-year-old was a fixture on the dance floor with celebrity partners including Patsy Kensit and Deborah Meaden. However, the inquest heard that he was eventually found deceased in his hotel room; a member of the front desk staff found him after he failed to vacate his room as scheduled, according toThe Sun.
Despite the arrival of police and paramedics, the 44-year-old passed away at the Hoxton hotel in West London on 19 February 2024. A subsequent post-mortem examination indicated that his death was likely caused by a drug and alcohol overdose. During the investigation at the scene, PC Emily Hampson discovered two handwritten notes left near the dancer.
The first letter, intended for a friend, traced his struggles back to his departure from the show: 'This all really started when I lost my job onStrictlyand have been fighting it ever since.' Windsor expressed how deeply the production's actions affected him, writing, 'The way they treated me destroyed me...It started me on the road I'm still on.'
Admitting that life had 'all gotten too much,' he spoke candidly about his 'heartache, the loneliness, the constant sadness.'
'All I wanted from life was to be happy. I loved my job more than anyone else.' The dancer said, 'I just live permanently in a dark place. I just can't live like this anymore. It's just too painful.'
'I had a good run, I've done some incredible things in my 44 years and had an unreal life doing what I loved, but all things must come to an end, and my curtain has come down for the final time.'
Source: International Business Times UK
