An inquest into the death of former Strictly Come Dancing professional Robin Windsor has heard that he left a suicide note blaming the show for his decline. The 44-year-old dancer was found dead in his hotel room at the Hoxton in West London in 2024.
In the note, Windsor wrote that losing his job on Strictly in 2015 'destroyed' him and left him living 'permanently in a dark place'. He said: 'This all really started when I lost my job on Strictly and have been fighting it ever since. The way they treated me destroyed me… It started me on the road I’m still on.'
The inquest heard that Windsor suffered a back injury in 2013 requiring surgery, forcing him to miss the 2014 series. Strictly bosses then chose not to bring him back for 2015. His friend and former colleague Kristina Rihanoff told the hearing that the 'psychological impact' of leaving was 'very severe' as he 'couldn't do what he loved'.
Former Strictly executive producer Louise Rainbow said Windsor was among three dancers dropped ahead of the 2015 series. She described his reaction as 'very disappointed' but not unusual. Windsor's ex-boyfriend Marcus Collins said the day he was told he was no longer required 'really broke his spirit'.
A post-mortem ruled his death was likely an overdose of drugs and alcohol. The inquest continues.
