22 February 2024 , 13:51
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Robin Windsor's family have thanked friends and fans for the outpouring of love for the Strictly star.
The professional dancer's death on Tuesday at 44 years old left the showbiz world utterly shattered, with friends, co-stars and fans paying tribute to the professional dancer.
In a statement shared with the Mirror, they said: "We would like to thank everyone for the outpouring of love and celebration of our beloved Robin. While we understand that there is a huge public and media interest around his passing, we as a family need time to process our shock and grief. We ask for the needs of our family and friends to be taken into consideration and for our privacy to be respected at this difficult time."
Robin became a firm favourite on Strictly Come Dancing after making his debut in 2010, going on to be partnered with Patsy Kensit, Anita Dobson, Lisa Riley and Deborah Meaden. Susanna Reid, who was paired with the dancer during a Strictly special, struggled to announce the sad news to Good Morning Britain viewers at the beginning of the week and broke down in tears.
Tributes have been pouring in for Strictly's Robin Windsor (Instagram)
The Strictly star left the show in 2014 (PA)Former X Factor star Marcus Collins, who dated Robin for 18 months, said "the world just got a lot less sparkly" as he mourned his late partner on Instagram. Emmerdale actress Lisa Riley shared a collection of snaps of herself and Robin as she paid tribute online this morning, telling her followers: My Bestie, My Robin, My Angel…….now our forever Angel, who is loved, will always be loved, forever in my heart……my very broken heart, I love you, shine your beautiful, electric energy from heaven. SHINE IN PEACE."
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Strictly judge Craig Revel Horwood wrote on Twitter (X): "I have just heard the tragic news my dear friend ’Bobby’ Robin Windsor has passed. He was one of the kindest, gentle, honest, funny and caring people I’ve had the pleasure of knowing and working with. He will be forever missed. My heart goes out to all his family & friends. RIP darling man, you were truly loved x."
It has been reported Robin was found dead in a London hotel, after previously confiding in a friend about a "troubling incident" that took place over New Year. Vincent Simone, who has known Robin since he was 17, said a close friend of the dancer began frantically ringing his pals after he vanished.
He told The Mirror: “The first thing I thought of when I opened my eyes this morning was Robin. He was the best man I ever met. Robin has had these moments in the past – it was an ongoing problem. He would detach himself from people for two or three days. Then he would come back to the world, to reality. But this time, he didn’t come back.”
Three weeks , Robin posted a haunting final photo on Instagram. 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.” Last month, Robin sent an apology to his followers for not replying to their messages due to a difficult time. Later, he shared a quote from Dr Thema Bryant about trauma, suggesting he had experienced some himself. Robin had previously shared about his struggle with depression and how he found it hard to watch Strictly after exiting the programme.
Robin was forced to pull out of Strictly in 2014 over a nasty back injury that required difficult surgery. He had been set to pair up with Pixie Lott, but was replaced by best friend Trent Whiddon on the show. Speaking about the ordeal in 2022, Robin said that bosses declined to invite him back the next year and believed it may have been due to health and safety concerns. “Leaving Strictly wasn’t my choice. I had a horrible back operation and they decided that they didn’t want to ask me back the next year," he said. "It was probably for health and safety reasons, in case something happened, but I was physically fit.”
He also spoke honestly about his struggle with depression and became an ambassador for mental health charity SANE in 2018 to help those in need with support and guidance through his own experience. In an incredibly brave interview with the organisation, Robin spoke of his first experience of depression at 19 and his struggle after Strictly.