The family of Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer Robin Windsor have expressed “profound sadness” following a jury’s conclusion that he took his own life, according to reports from multiple UK news outlets.
Windsor, 44, was found dead in a hotel room in Shepherd’s Bush, west London, in February 2024. The inquest jury determined that Windsor was susceptible to both emotional and professional rejection, identifying this vulnerability as a contributing factor to his death, the BBC reported.
In a statement released on Windsor’s X account on Thursday, his family said, “The coroner has now concluded the investigation into the cause of Robin’s death. It is with profound sadness that we acknowledge that Robin took his own life. As a family, together with Robin’s close friends, we can now begin to move forward and attempt, over time, to rebuild our lives.”
Windsor joined the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing in 2010, partnering with celebrities including Patsy Kensit, Anita Dobson, Lisa Riley, and Deborah Meaden over four series until 2013. A back injury prevented his participation in the 2014 season, and he was subsequently dropped from the professional dancer lineup in 2015, though he did appear in the Christmas special that year alongside TV presenter Alison Hammond.
Evidence presented at the inquest included a statement from actor Lisa Riley, who described how Windsor’s “glow had gone” after he was removed from the professional dancers’ roster. She told the court that he “kept slipping deeper and deeper into endless depression” following the decision, according to Sky News.
Coroner Dr. Anton van Dellen addressed Windsor’s family in court, expressing hope that they would remember “the happy times he brought to the public and the deep affection the public held him in,” the BBC reported.
The family thanked those who had “marked [Windsor’s] life with such love,” and expressed gratitude for the “kindness, compassion and support” received since his death.
The BBC issued a statement saying, “Our sympathies are with Robin’s family, friends and all who knew him. The whole of the Strictly Come Dancing family remain deeply saddened by his passing. Robin was a much-loved member of the team – both on and off air – during his time on the show. As the inquest has heard this week and the jury concluded, several complex factors contributed to how Robin felt at the time of his tragic death and our thoughts remain with all who knew and loved Robin.”
Windsor, originally from Ipswich, was an ambassador for the mental health charity Sane. His family’s statement concluded with a message encouraging those struggling with mental health to seek support, listing resources including Sane, You Are Loved, and Samaritans.
