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thomas skinnerEast apprentice Star whose casting is going on strictly come dance Earlier this year eyebrows were raised when he claimed the BBC had rigged his voting figures on the show and announced he was seeking “legal advice”.
The BBC has denied his claims, stating that the votes are independently verified by an expert team separate from the show. Independent Understands that the broadcaster is not aware of any legal complaint being initiated.
When strictly The lineup was unveiled for the first time, Skinner was chosen as a controversial casting. Thanks to his friendship with the US Vice President JD Vancewith social media posts in which he argued that “flying your flag and loving your country” is “not more right-wing”, and complaining that it is “not safe there anymore” in London, saying the city is “hostile” and “tense”.
He was the first celebrity to be eliminated from the competition along with his pro partner in September amy dowdenand he Recently it was revealed that he will not participate in the finalWhich will air tonight (20th December).
In a lengthy post to X this morning he wrote: “As most of you will have seen in the newspapers, I will not be in the final strictly come dance tonight.
“The first thing I want to say is this… I spoke to my lovely dance partner Amy Dowden to make sure she was okay with me not attending. She’s a good person now and a good friend, I would never let her down.
“When I got the opportunity to do strictly In April, I was discussing. Not because I can dance… I can’t. But because I really wanted to test myself and learn something by going completely out of my comfort zone.
“The night I left the show, I received an anonymous email, claiming to be from a BBC official with statistics, saying that I had received far more votes than was shown and that this was not true. I have since independently verified the email.
“That same email mentioned that the BBC was very angry and horrified because I met JD Vance (USA Vice President). Let me be clear, I am not a political person. Never have been. I just love my country and am patriotic. The press has made me into this political person. If someone like me had the chance, they would have taken it. I still think it’s crazy that a guy like me who sells mattresses out of a van would Now a friend can call a senior person in world politics.”
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He further said that he has asked the BBC for proof that the votes were not rigged.
“I have asked to see the official voting figures that were emailed to me, but have been told they cannot be shown to me and have never been shown in the show’s history,” he wrote. “I have spoken about the emails I received to senior people and the BBC welfare team, who I really respect. And it was they who advised me to seek legal advice because of how unfair it all was. (It was not my idea).”
She added, “There were also little things that added to the feeling. Everyone at the show got a welcome gift… skincare bits, face masks, things like that. Mine was the only thing that apparently got “stolen”. In itself, it’s nothing… but paired with everything else, it felt weird.
“I have been made into someone I am not really just because I participated in this show. These ideas were created over the summer by media stories that were not true or were exaggerated. What happened to me and my family is not fair.
“I also want to say this with caution. After receiving this information and verifying it, a very senior person at the BBC has resigned. I’m not saying it’s anything to do with me, but it did seem strange. Also the main hosts resigned the following week. Again, I’m not saying it’s anything to do with me. It’s all very coincidental. I’m just being honest.
“I didn’t want any of this in the press. Everything that has been written about me has been exaggerated or untrue and over the last few months it has become harder for me to accept. This is my life, and if I’m honest what has been said about me is not good.
“What I find strange is that after a private Zoom call with BBC executives on Wednesday night about how to proceed, by Thursday morning it was national news. That tells me there has been a leak. Because it didn’t come from me to go to press. (It may have been from the same person who sent me the email.)
“I didn’t want this to be national news, in fact I didn’t want any of this to happen. But now I’m writing a statement so people know the truth about why I’m not going into this, I don’t want people to think I’m bitter when I’m not. I don’t want more stories to be written that aren’t true.”
He said he was “not trying to get attention” and knew he was “crap at dancing”.
“But love me or hate me, you have to appreciate my massive following, I can’t even go to the local Tesco without stopping for a selfie. I just believe in fairness and respect.
“I wish every dancer the best of luck tonight. They’ve worked hard and they deserve this moment.
“As far as I am concerned, I have fish to sell at my stall and a family whom I love more than anything.
“Thank you as always for your love. Bosh.”
Responding to Skinner’s post, a BBC spokesperson said: Independent,strictly come dancePublic votes are independently monitored and verified each week to ensure complete accuracy. Any claims to the contrary are completely baseless. Unfortunately, despite requesting it, Mr Skinner has not yet shared that email with anyone at the BBC, so we are unable to comment.
He further said: “The strictly come dance The production team apparently did not supply any ‘welcome gifts’ to any of the cast.
PromoVeritas – the company that independently performs verification strictly Public Vote – has also issued a response below.
“All votes are independently and comprehensively verified by two auditors. We can confirm that all votes received are valid. This has been the case every week and we have not reported any issues with the public vote or how it is being represented in the final results.”
Skinner’s lengthy post came on the morning of the 2025 live final, which The finalists will see Karen Carney, George Clarke and Amber Davis compete for the Glitterball trophy.
this is also Last live episode with Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman as hostsEarlier this autumn, the pair shocked the entertainment world with the news that they were exiting the show.
Skinner’s claims are the latest In a long list of challenges for the BBC One showIn recent months and years, people associated with the show have been accused of everything from bullying and drug use to rape and ableist abuse.
Despite Skinner’s claims strictlyhe’s back on bbc celebrity apprentice this Christmas, and was present at the BBC’s press launch for the show last month.