In the weeks before his tragic death, Robin Windsor took a 'dream trip' to Cape Town in search of a 'distraction'.
The former Strictly Come Dancing star, who passed away this month at the age of 44, was reportedly found dead in a London hotel room just days after his return. No official details regarding his death have been announced yet.
His sad passing has sparked an outpouring of tributes from fans, former dance partners and fellow Strictly professionals, including Kristina Rihanoff who praised his kindness and loyalty in a heartfelt post. She claimed Robin was "struggling more and more" in the lead-up to his death, citing "instability of work" and "excruciating back pain".
The beloved dancer spent his final weeks performing on a cruise and shared several updates of his travels as he stopped off in beautiful places including Madagascar and Mozambique. Robin was seen smiling and posing in front of Table Mountain in Cape Town on January 27 and captioned his upload: "This place is the distraction of all distractions."
Robin travelled South Africa in the weeks before his death (Instagram/ @robinwindsor)
The dancer described the scenes as a 'distraction' (Instagram/ @robinwindsor)The late star spent time staying in a safari lodge and posted photos of wild elephants, lions, giraffes and a warthog. One post read: "Views for days", while another read: "I have no words - just keep pinching myself". On January 29, Dragons' Den star Deborah Meaden, who was partnered with Robin on Strictly, revealed he had met up with her elderly mother whilst they were both in South Africa.
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Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the businesswoman wrote: "11 years after we did @bbcstrictly together this happens and it is just lovely!! The wonderful @Robinwindsor and my Mum ( yep...87 years and amazing!!) meeting up in South Africa...don't you just love it!!" Making it clear how much fun he'd had meeting Deborah's mum, Robin added three love hearts and reshared her tweet.
But just one day before, on January 28, he shared a harrowing post on Instagram, which saw him posing in front of a mirror, taking a selfie. He captioned his dark image: "Hiding in the shadows." A few days before, he posted a clip of him dancing with the caption: "The show must go on." Last month, Robin took to social media to discuss personal struggles, as he explained it had been a "trying time".
In a follow-up post, he hinted that he had experienced trauma as he shared a quote by Dr. Thema Bryant. His friend and current Strictly choreographer Patrick Helm touched on Robin's self-esteem after the sad news of his death was announced, and declared: "You were loved by so many... but couldn't see it."
Robin worked on cruise ships after his sad Strictly exit (Instagram/ @robinwindsor)A friend has claimed Robin had mentioned something seemingly traumatic happening over New Year but didn't reveal what it was. Speaking to the Daily Mail, the friend of the late star recalled: "He kept saying that something had happened over New Year but he wouldn't say what it was. He sounded absolutely traumatised – whatever had happened must have been truly awful."
Over the years, Robin bravely opened up about his past battles with depression - saying he struggled with dark thoughts since he was a teen. Speaking to the charity Sane, of which he was an ambassador, Robin said: "I didn't really understand when I was 19 years old that I was suffering from depression at that time.
"And as I said, I was fuelling my life with as much as possible without drugs. Dancing is really what makes me happy and, without it in my life, I felt lost. Thankfully, I was given an opportunity to get back into it and had an incredible job travelling the world." The dancer went on to explain that losing his role on the hit BBC show was "probably the worst thing that could have ever happened".
He added: "Not really understanding what was going on I found that I was sad. And, I know we all have our dark days, but my dark days turned into dark weeks and I wouldn’t get out of bed. I didn't really understand why I was feeling like that or how to get out of that state."
Robin's friend claims he experienced trauma over New Year (Instagram/ @robinwindsor)
The late star posted on Instagram to say 'the show must go on' last month (Instagram/ @robinwindsor)Robin had previously explained how he was taken off the roster of Strictly professional dancers after he underwent a back operation. He suspected that bosses on the show were too anxious to have him back on the dancefloor out of fear he could injure himself further.
The dancer's death was announced by Burn The Floor on Facebook in the early hours of Tuesday, with the dance company telling fans: "The Burn the Floor family has lost one of its founding members, Robin 'Bobby' Windsor - who has tragically passed away. A BTF journeyman he danced with us for twenty years - including Broadway, The West End and all our crazy adventures around the world.
"His stunning image attached with Jessica Raffa defined our company, colourful, extreme and sensual. His talent, attitude, energy and personality helped create the Burn the Floor stage reputation. He leaves a void in our hearts that will never be filled, yet our wonderful memories will stay forever."
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* If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email jo@samaritans.org or visit their site to find your local branch
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