Kevin Clifton and Janette Manrara were among the first of their Strictly castmates to share heartbreaking tributes dedicated to their late friend and former Strictly professional, Robin Windsor, whose funeral was held on Tuesday.
News of the dancer's death was revealed in February after his body was found in a London hotel room. The cause of his death is yet to be confirmed. A month after the heartbreaking news, Robin's passing was marked with a private ceremony in his hometown, Ipswich.
The list of celebrity attendeés included Janette, Anton Du Beke, Karen Clifton, Susanna Reid, Lisa Riley and Deborah Meaden. The guests all wore vibrant colours which was likely at the request of Robin's family. Janette wore a bright pink trouser suit, meanwhile, Susanna wore a lilac coat and green dress. Lisa was pictured carrying a brightly coloured umbrella. Meanwhile, Robin's coffin was silver and glittery.
Kevin took to Instagram with a beautiful black and white photo of his friend and simply captioned the image with a broken heart emoji.
Meanwhile, Janette shared four photos alongside the late dancer. In the snaps, she and Robin struck four different poses for the camera, as well as the pair smiling at the lens, one of the photographs saw Janette kissing Robin's cheek.
"Love you always," she wrote alongside the images ending the message with a white love heart emoji.
Robin's family made a statement ahead of his funeral on his official website. It read: "On Tuesday 26th March we will lay our beloved Robin to rest in his hometown of Ipswich.
"The funeral will be a private service for invited family, friends and colleagues who were important to Robin in both his personal life and professional career.
"In the meantime, we once again thank everyone for the love and the memories shared of Robin."
News of Robin's passing was shared on February 20. A statement from Burn the Floor, a company which he co-founded, read: "The Burn the Floor family has lost one of its founding members, Robin 'Bobby' Windsor - who has tragically passed away," the statement began.
"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.
© Getty"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."
Following the news, tributes poured in from friends and Strictly stars alike. GMB's Susanna Reid, who danced with Robin back in 2011 during a Strictly special for Children in Need said: "I fell in love with him and I fell in love with dancing. He was just so enthusiastic about dancing. I just adored him.
"He was the most incredible personality. There's something very special about him."
Strictly Come Dancing also released an official statement in response to Robin's death that read: "The whole Strictly Come Dancing family are deeply saddened to hear the news about our dear friend Robin Windsor.
"He was not only an exceptionally talented dancer and choreographer but also a caring, considerate and kind person both on and off the dancefloor. Our thoughts are with his friends and family at this extremely difficult time."
