Strictly Come Dancing didn’t pay for an operation on Robin Windsor’s back before being told by bosses he would not be brought back to the show, it has been revealed.
The dancer was found dead in a hotel in London at the age of 44 on Monday, though his cause of death is yet to be revealed.
Robin was a member of Strictly’s professional lineup from 2009 until 2013, and was paired with stars including Patsy Kensit and Lisa Riley.
But he suffered a ‘slipped disc’ at an after-show party in Blackpool, falling heavily on a marble floor while ‘trying some lifts,’ and required an operation.
A source has told MailOnline that despite being left in agony by the spinal injury, Robin didn’t receive any financial support for his operation by Strictly bosses.
Strictly Come Dancing didn’t pay for an operation on Robin Windsor’s back before being told by bosses he would not be brought back to the show, it has been revealed.
The dancer was left in agony after suffering a ‘slipped disc’ at an aftershow party, but despite undergoing surgery, bosses then dropped him from the show
While it seems unlikely the BBC were liable to pay for Robin’s operation, the hefty medical costs will have added to Robin’s woes, as he was hit by a £100,000 tax bill just months later.
Robin eventually had an operation and endured months of painful injections, but producers then decided they ‘couldn’t have him back.’
A representative for Strictly declined to comment. MailOnline has contacted a representative for Robin Windsor’s estate for comment.
A source previously told The Mail that Robin ‘never got over’ being axed from Strictly, and he ‘lived in hope’ he’d be invited back one day.
Robin also revealed his torment on the My Time Capsule podcast in January 2022, saying: ‘It was the worst thing that’s ever happened to me… I loved being on Strictly Come Dancing. It was the best job in the world. I think I loved being on that show more than any other person that was there.’
Describing his sacking, he said: ‘I got a phone call saying: ‘Thank you for all your hard work on the show. We won’t be needing you anymore.’ And that was all that I got.’
‘It hurt more than anything in the world. After all of the work that I’d put in, how much I loved it, what I’d been through with the injury… to be just pushed to the side, with no real thanks or anything, was heartbreaking. But, at the same time, that’s showbusiness, right? Then I went on a downward spiral.’
Robin previously revealed how he struggled to watch Strictly after he was axed by bosses, saying: ‘Leaving Strictly wasn’t my choice. I had a horrible back operation and they decided that they didn’t want to ask me back the next year.
Robin was then hit by another devastating blow, as after splitting from his fiancé Davide Cini in 2014, he was also hit by a £100,000 tax bill, and his mental health plunged
‘It was probably for health and safety reasons, in case something happened, but I was physically fit. One of my best friends Trent Whiddon, who replaced me to dance with Pixie Lott, I wanted to watch and support him, but it broke my heart.’
‘I was with Marcus Collins from the X Factor, who was my partner at the time, and said to him, ‘I’m really struggling to watch the show.’
‘He told me the best thing to do was to really get behind and support everybody. He said it was hard for him to watch the success of Little Mix, who beat him on X Factor.’
Robin was then hit by another devastating blow, as after splitting from his fiancé Davide Cini in 2014, he was also hit by a £100,000 tax bill, and his mental health plunged to the point where he considered suicide.
He wrote farewell letters to friends, and a source old The Mail said that he ‘had enough drugs with him to kill a herd of elephants’. But his phone rang before he could carry out his plan.
A source said the caller was someone with whom he had a ‘love-hate’ relationship, and their conversation was enough to save Robin from killing himself.
It emerged on Tuesday that Robin was found dead in a London hotel room, after suffering a troubling incident over the New Year period.
While the cause of Robin’s death has yet to be confirmed, his close friend and former Strictly co-star Kristina Rihanoff hinted that he may have taken his own life.
She wrote online: ‘There are no words to express the pain.
‘Robin wasn’t just my dance partner, he was a friend and together we shared endless experiences from our career highlights to hitting rock bottom of rejection.
‘Many of you, who went to see his farewell tour, know perfectly well that he spoke very openly about his mental health struggles and thoughts of suicide.
It emerged on Tuesday that Robin was found dead in a London hotel room, after suffering a troubling incident over the New Year period
‘I’m sure it was devastating for anyone who loves Robin to hear that, but those thoughts were in his head for many years… Too much pain, too much disappointment, too much neglect.’
In a second post she showed her followers her and Robin’s last rehearsal together in late November, adding: ‘If I only knew it’s the last ever dance… may you dance with the angels with no more pain my friend.’
Robin spent his final weeks bringing joy to others – even as he revealed he was ‘hiding in the shadows’ and hinted at ‘trauma’ in a series of haunting social media posts weeks before he passed away.
For help, call Samaritans for free on 116 123 or visit samaritans.org.
