Former England rugby captain Chris Robshaw has endured a difficult time away from the cameras while appearing on Strictly
Strictly Come Dancing has been a period of joy for rugby star Chris Robshaw, who has endured a difficult personal time amid his stalker nightmare. The former England captain very nearly turned down the chance to be part of the hit BBC programme after he and wife Camilla Kerslake’s lives were turned upside down.
Robshaw has been made subject to a campaign of harassment by a stalker since last year, with Strictly proving to be a welcome distraction from the hell he and his family have been subjected to. It is a concerning situation he will continue to have to deal with after his time on the dance floor is up.
Robshaw is the bookies’ favourite to be axed on Sunday night after struggling to impress judges and finishing in the bottom two on the opening week.
He won through to the third round last week after a much-improved performance and scored 24 points for his Salsa to Ricky Martin’s Maria in round three alongside partner Nadiya Bychkova, which Craig Revel Horwood said “lacked any rotation” but featured “extraordinary” lifts.
Robshaw has been supported throughout by wife Camilla, who is a famous classical singer. She missed the second week’s show as she was performing at rugby league’s grand final in Manchester.
However, the couple have reportedly been advised she shouldn’t attend every week anyway, to “avoid any patterns of behaviour, and to eliminate safety concerns”, according to the Daily Mail.
Back in August it was revealed Robshaw almost turned down Strictly for safety reasons after being harrassed by the female stalker who had threatened to spread lies about him and his wife.
BBC bosses moved to reassure Robshaw “his safety, and his family’s safety, comes first”.
The Harlequins legend briefly met a woman at two separate work events in 2024, and within six months, she is alleged to have started harassing him. The woman is alleged to have spread false claims about Robshaw and encouraged others to do the same, including threats to tell lies about him and opera singer wife Camilla to social services.
After the threats allegedly turned violent, Robshaw called the police, with the woman believed to have left the country. She features on the National Police Wanted List, according to the Mirror.
The ordeal was going on around the time that the ex-rugby star and his wife had welcomed their son Hunter, with Robshaw admitting in an interview with The Times that the “tough” situation is an “ongoing headache”.
He said: “What should’ve been a time for celebrating our new baby was overshadowed as we were dealing with the horror of this. But Strictly has brought us some joy. It’s nice to hear the family laughing again, even if it is at my expense.”
A close associate of Robshaw’s revealed to the Mirror how he sought approval from the officers handling his case before agreeing to participate in the BBC programme.
“Before signing up, he had to tell his case officer that he was doing the show, going as far to ask for their blessing as such,” they told the publication. “The police were told about Strictly, before he told his own family. He was one of the last celebrities to sign up, because he was taking the right measures to secure his family, before signing on the dotted line”
Robshaw has also indicated he would be willing to quit Strictly if the situation deteriorated, with the source adding: “Chris has made it clear that his family always comes first. He told friends that if this situation ever put Camilla or the children at risk, he’d walk away from Strictly without hesitation.
“He almost pulled out of the show altogether but changed his mind because he wants his son to see him out there, embracing something new and fun. He doesn’t want fear to win.”
