EXCLUSIVE: ITV Emmerdale’s Lisa Riley breaks her silence on heartache after Robin Windsor death

Lisa Riley is so heartbroken at the death of former Strictly partner Robin Windsor, she has struggled to film for Emmerdale.

The soap actress, 47, has been crippled by grief since Robin’s death in February, making it hard to transform herself into feisty Mandy Dingle for the cameras.

She compared the sadness at losing Robin to how she felt after losing her mother to breast cancer in July 2012. She added: “So to then lose my best friend as well… It was like, ‘Why does God take the best?’. It’s a pain like no other.” She and Robin became friends when they danced on Strictly later in 2012.

He comforted her on her recent loss and Lisa said: “He was such a big part of my life. There have been days when I didn’t want to go in front of the camera. I had to paint Mandy Dingle on… put the wig and lashes on and go out there. But it’s so painful.”

She has been supported by her partner Al as well as co-stars including Emma Atkins, who plays Charity Dingle, and Chas Dingle actor Lucy Pargeter.

Holding back tears, Lisa added: “All of my friends at Emmerdale have helped me. The Dingle sisters all share a dressing room and I can’t thank those girls enough. There are six of us. And everyone in that room has been a godsend beyond words. They have given me the energy to keep filming. They have been a great therapy.”

Lisa was so close to Robin that she was asked to collect an award on his behalf at the British LGBT Awards on Friday. She said: “It feels weird. I should be ringing him and going, ‘Hi babe, do you like my makeup?’. That’s what I used to do. I’ve lost that.”