Robert Rinder headed for Ukraine border to help former 'Strictly' dance partner's family escape

Robert Rinder has revealed his plans to travel to the Ukraine border to help his former Strictly Come Dancing partner's grandparents cross to safety.

The TV judge and broadcaster took part in Strictly in 2016, where he danced with Ukrainian Oksana Platero, placing fifth.

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He has been backing her campaign to get her family out of Ukraine and will travel to meet them at the border on Monday, when he will be reporting on the situation for talkRADIO.

Rinder, 43, tweeted his plans for Monday as he shared a post about Platero and her family.

He has also been co-hosting Good Morning Britain recently and wrote: "Oksana Platero my Ukrainian dance partner on @bbcstrictly gifted me so much. 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."

Clarifying which border he would meet them at, he wrote: "Depends on where they make it to but I’ll be at the polish border from Monday.

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"If they cross into Hungary the next step will be getting them to safety with their family."

Rinder also shared his friend Platero's GoFundMe appeal to get her family to safety, where she explained how they had become split up.

She wrote: "Dear Friends, As you already know, many families are going through such hardship with the war in Ukraine. My family and my cousin's, Kateryna Klishyna, family are escaping and close to the border.

"My mother, my 10 year old brother, and Kateryna’s sister, left their home the morning of March 2nd and arrived to safety March 6th. As you can imagine, the journey there was brutal but all that matters is that they made it, and they are safe. We are forever grateful to still have them as there are so many who can’t say the same.

"The rest of our family which include our 3 grandparents, 2 who are not able to walk, and Kateryna’s mom and dad, are still in danger as they are currently still trying to escape. We are praying that they will make it out of Ukraine and into safety soon.

"What's next is for them is unclear, unpredictable, and terrifying."

Strictly judge Motsi Mabuse has also shared her concern for her Ukrainian husband's family, while Countdown star Rachel Riley and her Russian husband Pasha Kovalev who is a former Strictly pro shared a social media post in solidarity with Ukraine for International Women's Day.

Watch: Robert Rinder in tears over anti-loneliness campaign