Emmerdale actress Lisa Riley said her Strictly Come Dancing professional partner Robin Windsor’s "glow had gone" after he was dropped from the show, an inquest has heard.
Windsor was 44 when he was found dead in a hotel room in Shepherd’s Bush, west London, in February 2024.
Riley was paired with Windsor on Strictly in 2012. In a written witness statement read to West London Coroner’s Court in the UK on Wednesday, she said the pair became close during the series.
"To say we hit it off was an understatement," she said. "We were literally joined at the hip.
"I had only just lost my mum in the July. I, myself, was in a very difficult place.
"Robin was my rock."
Windsor joined Strictly in 2010 and appeared in four series until 2013, dancing with Patsy Kensit, Anita Dobson, Riley and Dragons’ Den’s Deborah Meaden.
He did not take part in the 2014 series due to a back injury and was dropped from the programme in 2015, though he later appeared in that year’s Christmas special.
Riley told the court that his mental health appeared to worsen over time. "It was from this moment, on to the time of his death, he kept slipping deeper and deeper into depression," she said.
"His glow was gone."
She said Windsor spoke to her about feeling "never good enough" and experiencing "imposter syndrome". The court also heard Riley say he was insecure about his body and took steroids which, combined with alcohol, could put him in a bad place.
Riley said Windsor had financial difficulties and at times would go silent for periods. She said her last contact with him was around Christmas 2023, after she saw what she described as a "really dark" post on Facebook.
Jurors retired to consider their conclusion at 4.04pm on Wednesday.
Source: Press Association
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