Emmerdale actress Lisa Riley said her Strictly Come Dancing professional partner Robin Windsor’s “glow had gone” after he was dropped from the show, an inquest has heard.
Robin’s former partner Lisa Riley, who became a close friend of the star, provided a statement to West London Coroner’s Court on Wednesday, sharing how her ‘best friend’ struggled with “imposter syndrome” and had been molested by an old dance teacher.
Robin tragically took his own life at age 44 in February 2024 and was found dead in a hotel room in Shepherd’s Bush, west London.
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Robin’s ‘glow had gone’ after being dropped from Strictly
Robin joined Strictly in 2010 and appeared with celebrities until he was injured and left unable to perform in the 2014 series due to a back injury. He was dropped from the line-up in 2015 but still appeared in the Christmas special, dancing with Alison Hammond.
In her statement shared with the coroner’s court, which was read out today, Lisa claimed: “It was from this moment, on to the time of his death, he kept slipping deeper and deeper into depression.”
“His glow had gone,” she added.
‘Obsession with Strictly’
Another witness John Gleede, a pantomime performer, said that Windsor “seemed obsessed with Strictly Come Dancing” during a 2023 production of Aladdin, 10 years after he left Strictly.
“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.”
“He was my best friend”
Riley said that she and Windsor had a very close relationship that continued on after their time on the 10th series of Strictly had finished.
“To say we hit it off was an understatement. We were joined at the hip. Robin was my rock, my best friend.”
Riley said that she and Windsor had a very close relationship that continued on after their time on the 10th series of Strictly had finished.
“To say we hit it off was an understatement. We were joined at the hip. Robin was my rock, my best friend.”
Robin Windsor struggled with body image
Later in her statement the actress said Robin, who she called her best friend, had struggled with body image.
Lisa said: “Body image played an enormous part in his insecurities. He took steroids for his body shape” Riley wrote, adding that she believed the steroids worsened the effects of Windsor’s heavy drinking.
Her statement added: “He opened up to me and told me of a time where he was molested by his old dance teacher.”
Lisa Riley’s statement read out
Emmerdale actress Lisa Riley, who appeared on Strictly alongside dance partner Robin in 2012, shared a statement that was read out in court.
Lisa said Robin struggled with “imposter syndrome” and had been molested by an old dance teacher.
In a prewritten statement read by the coroner, actress Lisa Riley, one of Windsor’s dance partners on the programme, said that Robin would often “tell me of times where he would not feel good enough”.
In the heartbreaking statement, Riley suggested that Windsor had struggled with his romantic relationship, spending money on lavish gifts that 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.“
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