Thomas Skinner is preparing to sue the BBC after his disastrous turn on Strictly Come Dancing, it’s been claimed.
Apprentice star Thomas, 34, was the first to be eliminated from this year’s edition of the celebrity dancing competition.
However, Thomas, who was partnered with Strictly favourite Amy Dowden, apparently claims bosses ‘rigged’ the public vote.
Insiders close to businessman Thomas also allege that the reality star believes BBC execs wanted to see him booted off the dancefloor early on in the series after he proved to be a controversial signing.
Now, the star has addressed his absence, and his lawsuit with the broadcaster.
Thomas Skinner ‘sues’ Strictly Come Dancing
The lawsuit claims come as President Donald Trump also plans to sue the Beeb, amid allegations the corporation misrepresented a speech he made.
Thomas, who has built a following for his outspoken, right-leaning views, looks set to follow in his footsteps.
“The BBC is already facing a £7.5 billion lawsuit from Donald Trump – now Thomas, a friend of Vice President JD Vance, is taking them on too,” a source alleged to The Sun.
“Thomas is adamant he got a larger share of the public vote and believes he has the evidence to prove it. He is determined to see it through, but there’s no way the BBC will take this sensational claim lying down. They’ll robustly defend any kinds of claims that the voting was rigged or fixed,” the source went on to allege.
The insider also claimed: “He’s convinced the BBC was hell-bent on getting him out as soon as possible, no matter how many of his fans got behind him.”
ED has contacted reps for Thomas for comment. He is yet to comment on the reports on his social media.
BBC hits back in statement
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the BBC furiously denied claims that voting for Strictly is anything but fair and above board.
A rep said: “Strictly Come Dancing’s public vote is robust and independently overseen and verified to ensure complete accuracy.”
Thomas issues statement
This morning (Saturday, December 20) saw Thomas issue a statement of his own on X (formerly Twitter).
Tweeting for his 416k followers, he said: “As most of you will have seen in the papers, I won’t be at the final of Strictly Come Dancing tonight. First thing I wanna say is this…. I spoke with my lovely dance partner, Amy Dowden, to make sure she was okay with me not attending. She’s a good person and a good friend now, I’d never let her down.
Thomas went on to say that he was “buzzing” to do Strictly as he wanted to “test” himself.
“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. That same email mentioned the BBC was very angry an nervous simply because I had met JD Vance (USA VICE PRESIDENT),” he wrote.
“Let me be clear, I’m not a political bloke. Never have been. I just love my country and am patriotic. I’ve been made out by the press to be this political figure. If anyone was to get an opportunity like what I did, they would have taken it. I still think it is mad that a man like me who sells mattresses out of a van can call someone that senior in the world’s politics a friend now.”
Thomas’ tweet
The star then said that he’d asked to see the official voting figures to “back up” the ones he’d been sent, however, he was allegedly told that they “couldn’t” be shown.
“I have spoke about the email I had received to senior people and the BBC welfare team, who btw I genuinely respect. And they was the ones who advised me to get legal advice because of how unfair it all was. (This was not my idea),” he then wrote.
“There were also smaller things that added to the feeling. Everyone received a welcome gift on the show….. skincare bits, face masks, that sort of thing. Mine was the only one that “Got Stolen” apparently. On its own, it’s nothing…. but added to everything else, it felt strange,” he then alleged.
“I have been made out to be someone I actually am not simply because I took part in this show. The views were formed from media stories over the summer that simply wasn’t true or exaggerated. It ain’t fair what has happened to me and my family,” he then continued.
“I also want to say this carefully. After receiving this information and having it verified, a very senior BBC figure has since resigned. I’m not saying that had anything to do with me, but it did feel bizarre. Also, the main hosts stepped down the following week. Again, I’m not saying it has anything to do with me. It’s just all very coincidental. I’m just being honest,” he then said.
Thomas wishes dancers luck
Thomas went on to say that he believes news of his lawsuit has been leaked.
“I’m writing a statement so people know the truth as to why I’m not attending, I don’t want people thinking I am bitter when I ain’t,” he said.
“I’m not kicking off for attention. I’m not saying I should’ve won either. I was rubbish at dancing, we all know that. But love me or hate me you do have to appreciate the massive following I have, I can’t even walk into the local Tesco without getting stopped for selfies. 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. Bosh.”
In a statement, a BBC 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.”
Regarding a welcome gift, they said: “The Strictly Come Dancing production team categorically did not supply ‘welcome gifts’ to any of the cast.”
A spokesperson for PromoVeritas, the company that independently verifies the Strictly votes, said: “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.”
Read more: Tess Daly lets slip huge Strictly Come Dancing final secret: ‘I shouldn’t have said that’
The Strictly Come Dancing final airs tonight (Saturday, December 20)The at 7pm on BBC One.
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