Following the tragic death of Strictly pro Robin Windsor, the reason he was forced to leave the BBC dance show has resurfaced.
Robin’s death at the age of 44 was announced today (February 20). Tributes have poured in from his Strictly Come Dancing friends, including Craig Revel Horwood, Lisa Riley and Brendan Cole.
But Robin had previously said that leaving the show sent him into a “steady decline“, where he couldn’t even get out of bed. It followed a “horrible” back operation, that the much-loved Strictly pro spoke about late last year.
At the time, he claimed that bosses axed him after the procedure. But he also said that if he had kept competing, he risked ending up in a wheelchair.
Strictly star Robin Windsor on reasons behind his ‘axe’
In an interview in November 2023, Robin shared how he felt he had been axed due to a back operation. He was on Strictly between 2012 and 2014.
“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 told the betting website. “It was probably for health and safety reasons, in case something happened, but I was physically fit. ”
He revealed how he found it difficult to watch the show following his own departure.
I was paralysed on the floor of my friend’s house as the pain was so bad.
“I was with Marcus Collins from The X Factor, who was my partner at the time, and said to him: ‘I’m really struggling to watch the show.’ He told me the best thing to do was to really get behind and support everybody. He said it was hard for him to watch the success of Little Mix, who beat him on X Factor.
“From that day forward I made sure I supported everybody on the show. Being bitter about not being asked back was not going to help any situation. I learnt that was the right thing to do and I thank Marcus for that.”
‘I had no choice’
Talking about when the horror injury happened, Robin explained he had “slipped a disc in his back”, adding that “the nerve was exposed, causing agonising pains shooting down his leg”.
He said: “I was paralysed on the floor of my friend’s house as the pain was so bad. I was there for three or four days. I couldn’t risk going ahead. It was a heartbreaking decision but I had no choice. If the slipped disc had popped out while I was dancing, I could have ended up with permanent nerve damage and been in a wheelchair.”
After leaving the show, Robin said that he contacted mental health charity Sane.
Speaking to the charity, he said: “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.”
ED! contacted the BBC for comment at the time of the interview.
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‘It’s the happiest place on earth’
The star went on to discuss the intricacies of daily life as a dancer on Strictly.
“I think having a public profile was hard. I wasn’t prepared to lose the life I had,” Robin said.
He continued: “I had to change my life to fit around that. I lost that feeling of freedom a little bit. Especially when I danced with Lisa Riley, just going out to dinner somewhere and people were whispering about you,” he said.
He continued: “It used to drive me crazy. It started to make me paranoid that they were saying bad things. When they were doing it they were obviously only saying: ‘That’s the guy from Strictly,’ but it used to make me feel so awkward. That would happen at the theatre or dinner. I almost lost my privacy.”
The star also revealed a desire to return to the show.
“I absolutely would love to return. It’s the happiest place on earth – it’s like Disneyland!” he said.
“I was at my happiest while I was on the show. I have mentioned going back, but it’s not been right for them, which I completely understand. I’m 43 now and I consider myself a bit old to be on the show.”
Read more: Inside Robin Windsor’s relationship with Marcus Collins as he pays tribute following star’s death
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