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  • Emmerdale’s Lisa Riley reveals she needed therapy after struggling to cope following Strictly star best friend’s death

Emmerdale’s Lisa Riley reveals she needed therapy after struggling to cope following Strictly star best friend’s death

Published on March 29, 2025 at 11:46 PM

Emmerdale’s Lisa Riley reveals she needed therapy after struggling to cope following Strictly star best friend’s death
Lisa Riley reveals heart-breaking motherhood journey

EMMERDALE star Lisa Riley revealed she needed therapy following her best friend Robin Windsor's death.

Lisa, 48, danced with Robin when she competed on Strictly Come Dancing in 2012.

Mandy Dingle from Emmerdale looking surprised.
Emmerdale's Lisa Riley opened up about her grief for best friend Robin Windsor
Lisa Riley and Robin Windsor dancing on Strictly Come Dancing.
The pair danced together when Lisa took part in Strictly in 2012
Black and white photo of Lisa Riley and Robin Windsor.
Lisa shared poignant tributes to her late friend

Fans were heartbroken when pro dancer Robin died in February 2024, aged 44.

Speaking to OK! Magazine, Lisa shared: “I’d never had therapy since losing my mum in 2012.

“However, with Robin, I had to start having therapy. It really does work.

“I lost mum, then Robin, and two and half months after Robin we lost my aunt suddenly when she was on holiday.

“She died having dinner. It was awful.”

Continuing, Lisa described portraying Mandy Dingle on the ITV soap as her “coping mechanism”.

She said: ‘I lost my best friend. I’m so lucky with our dressing room crew at work.

“Without those girls, some days, I wouldn’t be able to carry on.

“I put the wig on, the make-up and the costume and be funny, but my heart’s hurting.

“My husband-to-be Al has been amazing, but yes, I lost my gay best friend. He and I were Velcro together.”

Lisa Riley performance on Strictly Come Dancing from 2012

Lisa added: “I put Mandy Dingle’s lashes on and kept going – that’s exactly what I did with my mum. That was my coping mechanism.”

When Robin's death was announced, a devastated Lisa shared a poignant tribute on Instagram.

The actress wrote: “My bestie, my robin, my angel… now our forever angel, who is loved, will always be loved, forever in my heart… my very broken heart.”

Strictly paid tribute to Robin and past contestant Dave Myers in the 2024 launch show.

Hairy Bikers star Dave, who took part in 2013, passed away in February 2024 aged 66 after a battle with cancer.

Taking to X, one emotional Strictly fan wrote: “Oh the dedications to Dave and Robin at the end” alongside tearfulemojis.

Another added: “Oh heck the Dave Myers and Robin Windsor tributes at the end took my breath away a bit.”

A third tweeted: “Nicetouch there at the end of #Strictly. Remembering Dave Myers and Robin Windsor.”

Robin Windsor and Lisa Riley dancing on Strictly Come Dancing.
Lisa Riley accepting the Best Family award at the Inside Soap Awards.
Lisa has reprised her role as Mandy Dingle since 2019 – after initially leaving in 2001
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