Strictly Star's Suicide Note Reveals Show Exit 'Destroyed Me'
An inquest has heard that Strictly Come Dancing professional Robin Windsor left a note saying the way he was treated when dropped from the BBC show "destroyed me." The 44-year-old dancer was found dead in a hotel room in Shepherd's Bush, west London, in February 2024.
Note Details Mental Health Struggle
Coroner Dr Anton van Dellen told jurors at West London Coroner's Court on Wednesday that police found a note in the room where Windsor died. In it, Windsor wrote: "This all really started when I lost my job on Strictly and have been fighting it ever since." The note continued: "The way they treated me destroyed me... it started me on the road I am still on."
Windsor joined Strictly in 2010 and danced in four series until 2013, partnering with celebrities including actresses Patsy Kensit, Anita Dobson, and Lisa Riley, as well as Dragons' Den star Deborah Meaden. He missed the 2014 series due to a back injury and was dropped in 2015, though he appeared in that year's Christmas special with TV presenter Alison Hammond.
Friends Describe Decline After Strictly Exit
A written statement from Emmerdale actress Lisa Riley, read to the court, said Windsor's "glow had gone" after he was cut from the professional dancers' line-up. "It was from this moment, on to the time of his death, he kept slipping deeper and deeper into endless depression," she stated. Riley, who danced with Windsor in 2012, described him as her "rock" after her mother's death, but noted he struggled with "imposter syndrome" and revealed he had been molested by an old dance tutor.
Riley added that Windsor was insecure about his body, took steroids, and combined them with alcohol, which worsened his mental state. He was "drowning in debts" and spent "frantically" on designer items he could not afford, she said.
Evidence from Other Associates
Former X Factor star Marcus Collins said in a statement that Windsor's mental health deteriorated when he was released from his Strictly contract. "The day that he was informed that he was no longer required for Strictly really broke his spirit," Collins recalled, noting they were on holiday in New York at the time and Windsor was "inconsolable."
Actor Terry Gleed, who worked with Windsor in a pantomime in December 2023, said the dancer was "obsessed" with Strictly, watching footage on his phone during breaks. Choreographer Scott Coldwell stated Windsor told him several times he was "desperate" to return to the show.
Relationship and Financial Struggles
Jurors heard that Windsor had an on-off relationship with actor Ollie Augustin, which ended in August 2023. Deborah Meaden said she last saw Windsor about a year before his death and was aware he had relationship difficulties, seeing him "tearful and distracted at times."
Windsor was set to feature in the Legends Of The Dance Floor tour in late 2024, which Coldwell said was meant to "regenerate the careers" of the dancers. Their last call on February 1, 2024, was "very positive," Coldwell emotionally recalled.
Windsor died on February 19, 2024, after consuming alcohol and a drug. Jurors retired to consider their conclusion at 4.04pm on Wednesday.
