Robin Windsor, who has sadly passed away aged 44, last year opened up about going into “a steady decline” following his departure from Strictly Come Dancing.
The pro star – who partnered up with Patsy Kensit, Anita Dobson, Lisa Riley, and Deborah Meaden during his time on the BBC dance show – joined the series in 2010.
Latin and Ballroom standout Robin also performed with Susanna Reid, Alison Hammond, and Sara Cox for Strictly specials. However, in 2015, after sustaining a slipped disc injury, Robin left the programme’s troupe of pros.
Speaking with mental health charity SANE in June 2023, Robin – who was an ambassador for the organisation since 2018 – bravely addressed his personal struggles and his belief in the healing power of dance.
‘Dancing is really what makes me happy’
Robin reflected on how he suffered from depression at 19 as he faced a crossroads in his life and temporarily moved away from dancing.
“Dancing is really what makes me happy and, without it in my life, I felt lost,” he said of that time.
However, Robin resumed his career as a performer – and toured the world with the same show for a decade, including several months on Broadway in New York.
After that, an opportunity with Strictly came along, which Robin said “once again changed my life up to another level for the better”.
‘I loved being on Strictly more than anybody who was there’
However, leaving Strictly left Robin facing “dark days”, he said.
He explained to SANE: “After four amazing years on the show, I suffered a bit of an accident on my back having to have surgery and I ended up losing my job on Strictly. That was probably the worst thing that could have ever happened to me because it took away what I loved the most. I loved being on Strictly more than anybody who was there.
“I got to dance and show 13 million people every single week what it was that I love to do. So, once that was taken away from me, I went into quite a steady decline.
“Not really understanding what was going on I found that I was sad. And, I know we all have our dark days, but my dark days turned into dark weeks and I wouldn’t get out of bed. I didn’t really understand why I was feeling like that or how to get out of that state.”
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‘Feeling like I just could not tell anybody’
Robin added: “The most frustrating part was feeling like I just could not tell anybody, and I let things get worse. I found myself in a very, very difficult situation where it was nearly the end for me.”
But Robin also expressed gratitude for being in contact with SANE, which came after he shared tweets from mental health charities on social media.
The moment I started talking about it all, everything just started to get better.
He added: “The moment I started talking about it all, everything just started to get better.”
If you are struggling with your mental health, contact the Samaritans online. Or call 116 123 from any phone for free.
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