Former Strictly Come Dancing professional Robin Windsor’s cause of death has been confirmed at an emotional inquest, with heartbreaking testimonies from close friends and dance partners
The cause of death for former Strictly Come Dancing professional Robin Windsor was determined today following a three-day inquest.
A jury concluded the death was suicide after hearing the dancer was “vulnerable to rejection both emotionally and professionally.” Windsor was discovered dead at the Hoxton Hotel in Shepherd’s Bush, London, on February 19, 2024 at the age of 44.
The ex-Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer had a blood alcohol level more than double the drink-drive limit and had consumed the drug GBL. Following approximately two hours of deliberation, a 10-person jury established that Windsor had taken his own life, determining that the likely causes were “an accumulation of many attributes to depression”.
The jury forewoman informed the court: “Windsor suffered from childhood trauma, he was vulnerable to rejection, both emotionally and professionally.”
The jury also concluded that “loneliness, the lack of emotional maturity, the pressure of mounting debts, the lack of consistent mental health care and support and recurring heartache” were “contributing factors” to Windsor’s decision to take his own life, reports the Mirror.
In a message to a close friend written before his death, Windsor stated: “This all actually really started when I lost my place on Strictly and I have been fighting it ever since.”
He wrote: “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.”
A separate message addressed to former partner and actor Ollie Augstin, from whom Windsor had separated the previous year, stated “I need you to understand, this is not your fault!”.
The Latin and ballroom performer became part of Strictly in 2010, partnering with actresses Patsy Kensit, Anita Dobson and Lisa Riley, alongside Dragons’ Den businesswoman Deborah Meaden across four series until 2013. A back injury prevented him from participating in the 2014 series and he wasn’t invited back in 2015, though he still featured in that year’s Christmas special, performing with TV presenter Alison Hammond.
Upon delivering the verdict, Coroner van Dellen addressed Mr Windsor’s family member present in court: “I hope the family can take some comfort from the joy Robin brought to so many people and the positive effect he had on so many people.”
The coroner continued, “That’s a wonderful legacy for Robin to leave.”
Van Dellen instructed jurors to establish how Windsor met his death.
“You will need to consider the extent to which matters or events probably more than minimally contributed to Robin’s mental health deterioration, which in turn led him to take his own life,” van Dellen explained.
Throughout the inquest, deeply moving evidence was provided by Windsor’s friends and professional associates, including his Strictly partners Lisa Riley and Deborah Meaden, along with former Strictly professional Kristina Rihanoff.
In evidence presented at Wednesday’s hearing, Emmerdale actress Riley revealed that Windsor’s “glow had gone” following his removal from Strictly. “It was from this moment, on to the time of his death, he kept slipping deeper and deeper into endless depression,” she explained.
The soap actress revealed that she and Windsor maintained a particularly strong bond that endured well beyond their stint together on the 10th series of Strictly.
“To say we hit it off was an understatement. We were joined at the hip. Robin was my rock, my best friend.”
Lisa revealed Robin would “tell me of times where he would not feel good enough”. Riley indicated that Windsor had faced difficulties in his love life, splashing out on expensive presents which left him “drowning in debt”.
“Robin was and always has been influenced by other men. It became a standing joke he would fall in love after three days. He craved to be loved. I warned him so many times he was covering up his true feelings with booze, parties, and recreational drugs.”
The court was also informed that Windsor had battled with his perception of his own appearance. “Body image played an enormous part in his insecurities. He took steroids for his body shape” Riley documented, noting that she felt the steroids amplified the impact of Windsor’s excessive alcohol consumption.
Her statement continued: “He opened up to me and told me of a time where he was molested by his old dance teacher.”
In a separate statement, entrepreneur and Dragon’s Den personality, Meaden, acknowledged that whilst Windsor “always did his best to present a bright and sunny face”, she had witnessed her dancing partner “tearful and distracted at times.”
Another witness, John Gleede, a pantomime performer, revealed that Windsor “seemed obsessed with Strictly Come Dancing” whilst working on a 2023 production of Aladdin, a decade after his departure from Strictly.
He explained: “During the rehearsal period he had a lot of time on his hands. He was sitting on the sidelines watching footage of strictly, the current series. He was looking at it on his phone continuously. He missed it dearly.”
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