Fake tan and champers: Life with my Strictly flatmate, Robin Windsor

Tim Benzie pays tribute to his friend Robin Windsor, the Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer, who has died aged 44

Robin Windsor, who has died aged 44, with actress Lisa Riley on Strictly Come Dancing (PA)

Robin Windsor was my flatmate for a couple of years when he was at his peak on Strictly Come Dancing. He had been looking for somewhere quiet in central London to keep as a base while he was filming and on tour, and we had an empty fourth room in our place in Kennington, south London. One of our flatmates, an ex-boyfriend of his, was moving out and recommended us to him.

I think it tells you so much about the man that he stayed such good friends with an ex. But he really was such a genuine person, and a lovely presence to have about the place.

At the start of a Strictly series, we’d invite friends around and sit with him and watch the episode where the professionals meet who they’re going to be dancing with – the big reveal. We thought they must all know beforehand, but Robin insisted: “No, no, I swear to you, we don’t. All that surprise and excitement is real.”

That moment when he’s paired with Lisa Riley, his reaction is really delightful and wonderful. They were friends for good after that.

Robin never said a bad word about a single human being. He was always so excited about life, and about his job. Whenever we had a house party, he’d bring along some of the other Strictly dancers. On big birthdays, we’d go to a pub nearby instead – the Grand Union. One time, he invited Peter Crouch and Abbey Clancey, who were so easy to talk to, and Craig Revel Horwood, who was also really lovely and ridiculous.

At home, he was so unstarry. Robin was often away working, so we didn’t see a huge amount of him. But I did get to rub fake tan into his back a few times.

Tim Benzie with his former flatmate, Strictly Come Dancing professional Robin Windsor (Tim Benzie)

Once, I answered the door when a cab arrived with a delivery for him: a bottle of champagne that had been sent over by his dancing partner that year, Anita Dobson, with a note that read: “I hope you love this champagne. It was always one of Freddie’s [Mercury] favourites.” He was just delighted by that.

He was a supportive and utterly unpretentious human being. I’m really gutted I didn’t see more of him after he moved out, and always felt a bit awkward that we didn’t stay more in touch. After Strictly – and even after the back injury that forced him to give up the show – he kept really busy. You could see from his Instagram pages he was always going on incredible tours.

Robin absolutely loved all the celebrities he was partnered with, the likes of Susanna Reid, Patsy Kensit and Deborah Meaden. He had such a big heart. It makes what has happened all the more upsetting – such a terrible thing to have happened to such a gentle man.