Emotional Strictly star Oksana Platero said her grandparents were “turned around” at the Ukraine border as Judge Robert Rinder reassured her he would to try help.
The TV judge, 43, has hopes of trying to connect with his Strictly partner’s fleeing family when he travels to the border on Monday with talkRadio.
Platero broke down in tears as she gave her friend an update on her grandparents and told of their struggle amid Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Strictly star revealed her elderly grandparents were turned away at the border because her uncle, who is driving them, is 57, not 60.
But the dancer made the plea her uncle was their only hope because two of her grandparents cannot walk.
She said on talkRADIO: “I spoke with them several hours ago, they were on the border. They were trying to cross. But they were turned around because my uncle who is the driver of the car that they are in and he is helping with them with everything you know - its three grandparents ages between 75 and 90 years old, two of them cannot walk at all.
“He’s the only one who can physically help him. Without him they can’t make it. From what I understand, they were turned around because he’s not 60 years old yet. He’s 57, you know, he has big leg injury himself. But without him they will not make it.”
Judge Rinder vowed to do everything he could to help.
He replied: “We are going to go to the border on Monday and do everything we can.”
It comes after the barrister explained he will be reporting on the Ukrainian crisis from the border.
Confirming he would be working from the border as of next week, Rinder 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.”
Speaking to The Standard, Rinder said: “Hopefully they’re going to cross the Polish border before I arrive... Hopefully we’ll find a home for them, and money has already been raised for them.”
He added: “I’m reporting on the situation at the Polish-Ukrainian border, not least so that people in our country understand just how difficult it is for people to apply to get sanctuary in the UK.
“We’re looking at the range of difficulties there are and to get a sense of what the literal barriers to entry are. How serious are we about giving sanctuary?”
Judge Rinder and Platero developed a special bond after they competed on Strictly Come Dancing together in 2016.
