Strictly Come Dancing Star Robin Windsor's Death Ruled Suicide After Inquest
An inquest jury has concluded that Robin Windsor, a professional Latin and ballroom dancer who featured on Strictly Come Dancing, took his own life after suffering from years of depression. The 44-year-old was found dead in his hotel room at The Hoxton Hotel in Shepherd's Bush, west London, on February 19, 2024.
Details of the Tragic Incident
Windsor's body was discovered by a hotel receptionist after he failed to check out of his room. Police later found two suicide messages. In one note to a friend, Windsor wrote: 'This all really started when I lost my job on Strictly. The way they treated me destroyed me. It started me on the road I'm still on. All I wanted from life was to be happy. I loved my job more than anyone else.' He described being permanently in a 'dark place' and unable to continue 'living like this any more'.
A second note to his ex-partner, actor Ollie Augustin, stated: 'I need you to understand that this is not your fault.' After two hours of deliberations, jurors at West London Coroner's Court recorded Windsor's death as suicide on Thursday, noting he was 'vulnerable to rejection both emotionally and professionally'.
Medical and Contributing Factors
The inquest, overseen by Dr Anton van Dellen, determined that Windsor's medical cause of death was a combination of consuming alcohol and the drug gamma-butyrolactone (GBH). Jurors concluded: 'We, the jury, having listened to all given evidence have determined that Robin Jamie Windsor completed suicide by ingestion of ethanol and GBH on February 19 2024 in Room 424 at The Hoxton Hotel.'
They agreed that probable causes included an accumulation of factors contributing to depression, such as:
- Childhood trauma
- Vulnerability to rejection
- Loneliness and lack of emotional maturity
- Pressure from mounting debts
- Inconsistent mental healthcare and support
- Reoccurring heartache
Impact of Strictly Come Dancing Exit
The court heard how Windsor, who appeared on Strictly Come Dancing from 2010 to 2013, missed the 2014 series due to a back injury requiring surgery. He was then dropped in 2015 when show bosses refreshed the line-up. Friends testified that this event profoundly affected him, leading to a deepening depression.
Lisa Riley, 49, his dance partner in 2012, said in a written statement: 'It was from this moment on to the time of his death, he kept slipping deeper into a depression. His glow had gone.' She revealed Windsor had confided about being molested by an old dance tutor and feeling his parents never understood, leading to insecurities about his body and steroid use combined with alcohol.
Riley described him as 'drowning in debts' and spending frantically on designer items he could not afford. Her last contact with him was in Christmas 2023 after she saw a 'really dark' post on his Facebook, to which he replied he was 'fine, just usual ups and downs of life'.
Testimonies from Friends and Colleagues
Strictly professional Kristina Rihanoff, 48, sobbed as she told the inquest Windsor 'changed significantly' after his back injury, with the inability to dance having a 'very severe' psychological impact. She described the show as a 'very lonely space with not much support' and said it was 'heartbreaking' to see him 'deeply sad, subdued and burdened'.
X Factor star Marcus Collins, Windsor's ex-boyfriend, stated in a written account 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 said, recalling a holiday in New York where Windsor was 'inconsolable'.
Actor Terry Gleed, who worked with Windsor in a pantomime of Aladdin in December 2023, said the dancer was 'obsessed' with Strictly, often watching footage of the current series on his phone during rest time. 'He was looking at his phone continuously, and I could feel he really wanted to be there… he missed it dearly,' Gleed testified.
Personal Struggles and Future Plans
Windsor had been struggling with an on-off relationship with actor Ollie Augustin, which ended in August 2023. Despite this, he had plans to feature in the Legends Of The Dance Floor tour in late 2024, alongside dancers like Brendan Cole and James Jordan. Choreographer Scott Coldwell said Windsor was 'desperate' to return to Strictly, though he understood it wasn't possible.
In a poignant moment, friend Tazi Amey recalled a conversation where Windsor discussed the song he wanted at his funeral: 'Only the Good Die Young.' He had told her he had been to 'some dark places'.
Windsor's career included partnerships with celebrities like Deborah Meaden, Anita Dobson, and Patsy Kensit on Strictly. Meaden, in a written statement, said she last saw Windsor about a year before his death, noting he was 'tearful and distracted at times' due to relationship difficulties.
The inquest highlighted the severe impact of professional rejection and personal trauma on mental health, culminating in this tragic loss for the entertainment community.
