Former Strictly Come Dancing star Robert Webb has opened up about a life-threatening health crisis, stating he feels it is a "miracle" he is alive after emergency heart surgery led to his withdrawal from the BBC competition.
A Life-Saving Operation and a Strictly Exit
The Peep Show actor was forced to pull out of the 2021 series of Strictly alongside his professional partner Dianne Buswell just days before the fourth live show. The decision followed major surgery the previous year after doctors diagnosed Webb with a congenital heart defect.
Speaking recently at the Rose D'Or Awards, Webb reflected on the severity of his condition. "I very nearly died," he confessed. "And yet I made a full recovery and so that is an amazing gift, to have got that close but to come out of it with a normal life expectancy and normal everything else."
Reflecting on a 'Beautiful Miracle'
The actor described how his perspective has been permanently altered by the experience. He explained that whenever he feels down, he can look out of the window and remember the fundamental joy of being alive.
"It was amazing and every now and again when things bum me out slightly I can look out of the window and remember that it is a beautiful miracle to be alive," Webb said. "It’s a really good thing."
Admitting Strictly Was Too Much, Too Soon
With the benefit of hindsight, Webb now believes he accepted the challenge of Strictly Come Dancing prematurely, just a year and a half after his recovery began. He described the experience as "challenging" and admitted he was "a bit optimistic" about what his body could handle.
"It was a positive experience but my body just wasn’t ready for it at all," he admitted. "Strictly was my bungy jump. I was like, okay I’ve got this whole new body, let’s take it out for a spin and see what it can do."
He elaborated further in a past interview with The Times, criticising the show's intense schedule: "On paper I was in quite good shape, but then that schedule just hit me like a sack of dancing potatoes." He also cited difficulties remembering the complex dance routines.
Despite having made a full physical recovery, Webb has ruled out any return to the Strictly ballroom, keen to draw a line under that chapter of his life.
A Broader Transformation
Webb has also spoken candidly about how the health scare catalysed other positive changes. He previously discussed his struggles with alcohol addiction, which he felt was "slow killing" him.
The actor revealed that the surgery and subsequent recovery profoundly improved his marriage, which had been strained by his drinking. "So the surgery changed a lot," he said in 2023. "It was really the best thing that could have happened to me."
