- According to police, the cause of death has yet to be determined and investigations are underway
Polish Dancing With The Stars champion Cezary Olszewski has been found dead in a hotel room at the age of 42, local media report.
His body was found on Monday morning in his hometown of Ostroleka in northeastern Poland, a local report said.
Tomasz Żerański, a spokesman for the Ostroleka police, said an investigation had been launched.
“We have registered the death of a 42-year-old man in one of the hotels in Ostroleka,” he told Polish media.
‘Police officers conduct investigations under the supervision of the public prosecutor. The man’s cause of death will also be determined.’
Cezary Olszewski’s body was found on Monday morning in his hometown of Ostroleka in northeastern Poland, a local report claims.
Cezary Olszewski performs on Dancing With The Stars
Cezary Olszewski was born on July 17, 1981 in Ostroleka.
He started ballroom dancing in the fourth grade of primary school and won several tournaments before becoming a finalist at the Polish Championships.
He appeared on Dancing With The Stars between 2008 and 2010 and won the Crystal Globe in his first year.
He won the seventh series of the show while performing alongside Magdalena Walach.
He also danced together with Anna Nowak-Ibisz, Grazyna Wolszczak, Anna Popek and Dorota Zawadzka in the TV program.
Described by friends as coming from “a broken home,” Olszewski found dance as a way to escape the brutal reality of growing up in a run-down housing estate.
Cezary Olszewski and Magdalena Walach on Dancing With The Stars
A friend drew parallels with the dancer in the movie Billy Elliot, saying he escaped violence by turning to dance.
The friend told local media: ‘The fact that he didn’t stay on the streets was certainly influenced by the fact that he had something to do after school, he had something to do: dance.’
After his parents’ divorce, Olszewski moved in with his mother, who persuaded him to take dance lessons.
His first coach Dariusz Dabrowski said: ‘He quickly began to achieve success and after only four years of training he achieved the highest international class “S” in standard and Latin American dances.
‘He also played in the formation “Odysea”, with which he won the Polish championship title many times.’