He Was a Human Glowing Ball: Strictly Stars Celebrate Robin Windsor’s Life – Irvine Times

Robin Windsor: The final act was hosted by Du Beke and Emmerdale actor Lisa Riley, who was Windsor’s star partner on the show in 2012. and saw the performances of strictly professional dancers Lauren Oakley, Kai Widdrington and Alyaz Skoryanec.

Windsor died earlier this year at the age of 44. The cause of his death has not been given.

Presenting the show on Sunday night at the Theater Royal Drury Lane, Du Beke compared Windsor to the glittering Strictly trophy, with Riley adding that she hoped the dancer would “shine on us all and continue to shine in the sky”.

Skorjanec danced to A-Ha’s Take On Me with his wife Janette Manrara, who presents the BBC dance show’s sister program It Takes Two, while Beverley Knight sang while dancer Robbie Kmetoni performed behind her.

The evening was organized by dancers Pasha Kovalev and Anya Garnis with the permission of Windsor’s family, with all proceeds going to mental health charity Sane, which Windsor worked with as an ambassador while appearing on the BBC One show between 2010 and 2013.

There were also appearances from former Strictly contestant Deborah Meaden, who partnered Windsor in 2013, and former newsreader Angela Rippon, who danced with Widdrington as she did in the 2023 edition of the show.

Rippon, now 80, became the oldest contestant in the show’s history in Series 21 at 79.

Actor Leighton Williams also reunited with professional dancer Nikita Kuzmin, with whom he stars in the same series, as the pair hit a perfect score during Movie Music Week.

Other stars to appear on the show include singer and actor Marisha Wallace, professional dancers Joan Clifton and Vincent Simone and singer Lance Ellington.

Oakley’s appearance came a day after she replaced Amy Dowden, who missed the Saturday Night Live episode due to illness, to achieve a joint top score of the series with JLS singer JB Gill as they received 39 for their medley dance of Bruno Mars.

The show ended with a video montage of Windsor’s life, from his childhood to becoming a Strictly dancer.

Riley said afterwards: “The important message is to keep talking and take care of your friends.”

Du Beke added: “Guys don’t talk and tend to keep it to themselves. Take him out guys, talk to Sane.

During his time on Strictly, Ipswich-born Windsor teamed up with Patsy Kensit and Anita Dobson, as well as Riley, and won the 2011 Children In Need special. with host Suzanne Reed.

He also co-starred with Alison Hammond and Sarah Cox in the Strictly Christmas specials and is the only person to have performed on Broadway, the West End and Strictly Come Dancing in the same year.

A number of professional dancers paid tribute to Windsor during the Legends of The Dance Floor tour, which took place in England and Scotland in October with dancers Brendan Cole, James Jordan, Kovalev and Ian Waite.

Sane provides support, information and education to people affected by mental illness.