Lisa Riley has revealed her heartbreak after the death of her close friend – Strictly Come Dancing’s Robin Windsor.
The Emmerdale star, 47, admitted she has found his shock passing so hard that there has been times when she has struggled to film the ITV soap.
Beloved professional Latin and Ballroom star, Robin, featured on the BBC show between 2010-2013, partnering with Lisa during the 2012 series.
Tragically, he was found dead in a hotel in London at the age of 44 in February, though his cause of death is yet to be revealed.
Talking to The Mirror, Lisa compared the sadness at losing Robin to how she felt after losing her mother to breast cancer in July 2012 and added: ‘So to then lose my best friend as well… It was like, ‘Why does God take the best?’.
Lisa Riley has revealed her heartbreak after the death of her close friend – Strictly Come Dancing’s Robin Windsor (pictured together in 2012)
The actress who has played Mandy Dingle in Emmerdale for nearly 30 years admitted she has found his shock passing so hard, there are times when she has struggled to film the ITV soap
The actress who has appeared in Emmerdale for nearly 30 years went on to reveal that being at work had been hard.
She said: ‘He was such a big part of my life. There have been days when I didn’t want to go in front of the camera. I had to paint Mandy Dingle on… put the wig and lashes on and go out there. But it’s so painful.’
The TV star – who accepted the Posthumous Award on his behalf at The British LGBT Awards on Saturday night – added that her co-stars including Emma Atkins, who plays Charity Dingle, and Lucy Pargeter who plays Chas Dingle have been a ‘godsend’ and ‘a great therapy.’
Robin died unexpectedly aged 44 in February. Shortly before his death, the dancer had spent time in South Africa where he performed on a luxurious cruise ship with Grandosek – a Slovenian ballroom star.
Details of how he died have not yet been disclosed but he spoke openly about his struggles with his mental health and he’d been in a dark place before leaving London and was putting off returning.
He told a friend that he didn’t want to come home to the UK following an undisclosed incident over the New Year period.
At the time, his aunt thanked fans and said: ‘The tributes have been a great comfort to myself and all the family on days when we needed it most.
‘He was out and living his best life, a proud gay man who wanted to be seen at his real self. When we look at this beautiful award, we’ll smile back and feel him closer.’
Lisa told how she sometimes felt she ‘had to paint Mandy Dingle on’ but fiinds it incredibly hard because ‘it’s so painful.’
The TV star – who accepted an award on Robin’s behalf at The British LGBT Awards this year – added that her co-stars have been a ‘godsend’ and ‘a great therapy’
The professional Latin and Ballroom dancer (pictured in October 2023) was best known for his appearances on BBC ‘s Strictly Come Dancing for five years between 2010-2015
Robin, who started dancing at the age of three and was one of the founding members of dance show Burn The Floor, ‘lit up any room he walked into’, his representatives said as they confirmed his death.
They said the ‘dance world has lost some of its sparkle’, adding: ‘He was a nurturing soul always full of fun.’
From the age of three, Windsor studied Latin and Ballroom and his talent and commitment to his vocation took him to the highest level of competition where he won numerous World Championships.
He joined the cast of show Burn The Floor in 2001 and toured the world for 10 years, with a nine-month run on Broadway.
He got his TV break on Strictly in 2010 but was forced to pull out of the series in 2014 due to a slipped disc which left him paralysed for four days. While he never won the Glitterball Trophy, he came seventh with Patsy Kensit and Anita Dobson.
Windsor also appeared in Dancing With The Stars Australia and So You Think You Can Dance in the Netherlands and assisted in the choreography for the Australian version of So You Think You Can Dance, as well as acting as a motivational speaker.
Kristina Rihanoff and Robin Windsor perform a dance on a ‘Burn The Floor’ show in 2013
Patsy Kensit and dance partner Robin Windsor perform during the Strictly Come Dancing The Live Tour dress rehearsal in 2011
Windsor’s representatives told MailOnline at the time of his death: ‘It is with deep sorrow that we announce the tragic passing of our beautiful Robin.
‘Robin’s dancing started from a very young age and never stopped. He lit up any room he walked into, he was a nurturing soul always full of fun.
‘Strictly Come Dancing, Burn the Floor and many other dance shows along with all the school children around the country who he gave his time.
‘Robin was a strong advocate for mental health and worked closely with the ‘Sane Charity’. The dance world has lost some of its sparkle today. We ask for the family’s privacy at this very difficult time.’
