As the glitter and anticipation of the 2025 Strictly Come Dancing final light up television screens across the UK, a very different scene unfolds in the quiet village of Great Warley, Essex. There, Thomas Skinner—former Apprentice contestant, mattress salesman, and the first celebrity to be eliminated from this year’s Strictly—sits outside the Thatchers Arms pub, sipping a pint and reflecting on a controversy that has turned his life upside down. Despite the usual tradition of eliminated dancers returning for one final group performance, Skinner has made it clear: he won’t be at the final, and his absence is making as many headlines as the show itself.
Skinner’s decision to boycott the final, held on December 20, 2025, comes after a week of explosive claims and counterclaims that have rocked the BBC and the Strictly production team. In a lengthy and heartfelt statement posted to social media on Saturday morning, Skinner detailed his grievances and suspicions surrounding his early exit from the competition. According to BBC reporting, Skinner alleged that he received an anonymous email on the night he was voted off, which claimed he had garnered more public votes than was publicly acknowledged. The email, which Skinner says he had independently verified, further suggested that BBC executives were “very angry and nervous” due to his meeting with US Vice President JD Vance—a relationship that had already sparked controversy in the press, given Vance’s political profile and Skinner’s own outspoken social media posts.
Skinner’s partnership with professional dancer Amy Dowden was, from the outset, a focal point for both fans and critics. Their elimination after a dance-off with Chris Robshaw and Nadiya Bychkova in week two raised eyebrows, especially after Skinner and Dowden’s combined judges’ score of 29 points was just one shy of their competitors. All four judges voted to send Skinner home, but the real drama, he claims, was happening behind the scenes. “On the night I left the show, I received an anonymous email claiming to be from a BBC exec with stats, saying I’d received far more votes than it appeared and it wasn’t right. I’ve since had the email independently verified,” Skinner wrote in his public statement, as cited by The Mirror and BBC.
The allegations didn’t stop there. Skinner said he requested to see the official voting figures to corroborate the email’s claims but was rebuffed by the BBC. “I have asked to see the official voting figures to back up the ones I was sent in the email but was told they couldn’t be shown to me. And have never been shown in the history of the show,” he explained. He also described feeling singled out during his time on the show, noting that while other contestants received welcome gifts—"skincare bits, face masks, that sort of thing"—his was the only one that “got stolen,” a detail he admits is minor but, in the context of other events, felt “strange.”
Skinner’s time on Strictly was dogged by controversy even before the first dance. According to Evening Standard, friends and insiders suggested that BBC executives were keen to avoid scandal after several rocky years and saw Skinner’s presence—marked by right-wing associations, public support for “flying your flag and loving your country,” and a highly publicized meeting with JD Vance—as a potential liability. Skinner himself admitted to receiving death threats following his meeting with the US Vice President, and his social media activity, including comments about London being “hostile” and “tense,” only added fuel to the fire. He also confessed to personal missteps, such as cheating on his wife shortly after their wedding, and an incident involving a journalist’s phone at a Strictly press event.
“I can’t do anything right now without someone criticising me or making me do something against my will. It’s bullst,” Skinner vented in a post on X, as reported by Evening Standard. “I wish I (had) never done Strictly, I never fitted the bill for that show let’s be honest. And it’s caused me nothing but agg (aggravation).” He described the relentless media attention and abuse he’s faced since joining the show, saying, “All I f**** do is try to spread positivity online. I can’t walk anywhere without people knowing who I am. I’ve had a narrative spun against me so people always have an opinion on me now that they didn’t 3 months ago.”
Amidst the storm, the BBC has stood firm in its response. In a statement provided to BBC and The Mirror, a spokesperson said: “Strictly Come Dancing’s public vote is independently overseen and verified to ensure complete accuracy every week. Any claims to the contrary are entirely without foundation. Unfortunately, despite requests for it, Mr Skinner is yet to share the email he references with anyone from the BBC so we are unable to comment on it.” PromoVeritas, the independent auditor responsible for verifying the votes, confirmed, “All votes are independently and comprehensively verified by two auditors. We can confirm that all votes received are validated. This has been the case every week.”
Regarding Skinner’s claim about welcome gifts, the BBC categorically denied that any such items were given to cast members, stating, “The Strictly Come Dancing production team categorically did not supply ‘welcome gifts’ to any of the cast.” Furthermore, the broadcaster noted that it had not received any legal complaint from Skinner, despite media speculation that he was preparing to sue the BBC for rigging the competition. “The BBC denies any rigging claims and has received no legal complaint from Skinner,” reported Evening Standard.
Skinner’s absence from the final is particularly notable, as it breaks with the tradition of eliminated contestants returning for a group performance. He emphasized that he made the decision after speaking with Amy Dowden, ensuring she was comfortable with his choice. “She’s a good person and a good friend now, I’d never let her down,” he wrote. Instead, Skinner spent the evening in Essex, far from the glitz of the ballroom, enjoying a pint and a laugh with locals—perhaps a more fitting stage for someone who has always been as comfortable selling fish as he is facing the cameras.
Meanwhile, the Strictly final goes on, with George Clarke, Amber Davies, and Karen Carney vying for the glitterball trophy. For most viewers, the show remains a beloved fixture of Saturday night television, its sparkle undimmed by the behind-the-scenes drama. But for Thomas Skinner, the experience has been a bruising lesson in the power of public opinion, media scrutiny, and the unpredictable consequences of reality TV fame. As he put it in his closing remarks, “I just believe in fairness and respect. I wish every dancer tonight the very best. They’ve worked their socks off and they deserve their moment. As for me I’ve got fish to sell on my stall and a family I love more than anything. Thank you for the love as Always.”
For now, the final curtain falls on Skinner’s Strictly journey, leaving questions swirling and a debate about transparency and fairness in televised competitions echoing far beyond the dance floor.
