Celebrity

Judge Rinder Vows To Help Strictly Partner’s Family At Ukrainian Border

“I’ll be trying to meet them on the border next week.”

Judge Robert Rinder and Oksana Platero
Getty Images

With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continuing to devastate the entire country, around two million Ukrainian people are thought to have fled their homes and country in search of a refuge. Among the many refugees attempting to find a safe passage across the border, as Russia refuses to allow a ceasefire, are the grandparents of former Strictly Come Dancing pro Oksana Platero. Her former celebrity dance partner, Judge Robert Rinder, has joined the many well-known faces speaking out in solidarity. In a bid to help those in need escape, the TV personality says he’s heading to the Ukrainian border next week.

Rinder says he plans to wait for Platero’s family at the Polish border, and will also help to reunite them with relatives should they end up travelling into Hungary, instead. The criminal barrister and TV judge added that he’ll be reporting on the ground for TalkRADIO, where he hosts Friday’s Drivetime show.

“Oksana Platero, my Ukrainian dance partner on Strictly Come Dancing, gifted me so much,” he wrote. “Right now, her grandparents are a week into their struggle to find sanctuary in a safe country. I’ll be trying to meet them on the border next week. They’re just a few of the millions who need us.”

Sharing a photograph of her family in an Instagram post, professional dancer Platero wrote in more detail about her loved ones’ struggle to escape to safety — adding that a number of relatives including three grandparents are still in grave danger.

“We are praying that they will make it out of Ukraine and into safety soon,” she wrote. “What's next is unclear, unpredictable, and terrifying.”