Robin Windsor's Strictly partner says he was 'complex' amid tragic death details

21 February 2024 , 10:08

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Robin Windsor's former dance partner has described the late Strictly Come Dancing star as 'complex' (Image: Instagram)

Robin Windsor's former dance partner has described the late Strictly Come Dancing star as "complex".

The death of the much-loved performer, aged 44, has sent shockwaves through the Strictly community, with celebrities, including Dragons' Den's, Deborah Meaden, paying tribute to the Surrey-born star. Taking to X, Deborah admitted she had been "thinking about what to say" as she tries to come to terms with the "devastating news".

She wrote, alongside a photo of the pair in rehearsals back in 2013: "I have been thinking of Robin (Bobby) since I heard the devastating News. Thinking of his Family, friends, loved ones who will be aching at the loss. I have also been thinking of what to say.

Robin Windsor and Dragons' Den star, Deborah Meaden, were partnered on Strictly Come Dancing in 2013 (Twitter/ @DeborahMeaden)

"Robin was a good Man. He was kind and incredibly generous, supporting so many charities, helping so many people and giving so much of himself wherever he went. He lit up a room with his fun and energy and certainly his sparkle…he was never happier than when he was covered in crystals!.

"He was talented, clever ( a great partner for a quiz), and fun. He taught my Mother to dance for her 80th Birthday party and they whirled around the dance floor at her party….he knew how to make people feel good. He was also complex and human and open about the struggles of life after the limelight. I was lucky to have known you Robin, it’s hard to know you are gone. RIP lovely man x."

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Since the news of Robin's death was announced on Monday, more details about the weeks leading up to the tragedy have been revealed. The star posted a video of himself in South Africa four weeks ago in which he can be seen smiling on Safari. Robin was in the country where he had been working on a cruise ship after being forced to leave Strictly in 2014 due to an 'agonising' back condition.

Deborah says she was lucky to have known Robin

His last final public photo shows the dancer smiling on a cruise ship, which had docked in Mozambique, just weeks before his death. The ballroom and Latin dancer was pictured for the final time smiling and posing with friends. In a post uploaded on February 4, by @MickyZanyComic, the image was captioned: "Another great cruise on the beautiful Bolette @fred.olsencruiselines with an amazing group of entertainers."

However, Robin's final Instagram post was, sadly, a lot darker. Three weeks , he posted a haunting final photo 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.”

The cause of the dancer's death has not been confirmed, but it has been reported the star was found dead in a London hotel room after suffering a "troubling incident" over the new year period. Following the sad news on Monday, his former Strictly partner, Kristina Rihanoff paid tribute to her friend, speaking of the "pain and devastation" she felt following his passing. She also admitted Robin was "struggling more and more" in the lead up to his death, citing "instability of work" and his "excruciating back pain".

Victoria Johns