Thomas Skinner alleges Strictly Come Dancing exit 'wasn't right'
Thomas Skinner has claimed he received an "anonymous email" that alleged his Strictly Come Dancing exit "wasn't right" because he had "received far more votes than it appeared".
Thomas Skinner has claimed he received an "anonymous email" that alleged his Strictly Come Dancing exit "wasn't right".
The Apprentice star was the first celebrity to be voted off the show this year and, while he did not confirm reports he is planning to sue the BBC over his early exit, the 34-year-old father-of-three claimed all wasn't as it seemed with his departure.
Confirming his absence from Saturday's (20.12.25) final, Thomas added in a statement shared to X: "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."
Thomas claimed he was told the BBC were "angry and nervous" about his participation in their flagship entertainment show because he had met up with US Vice President J.D. Vance.
He continued: "That same email mentioned the BBC was very angry an nervous simply because I had met JD Vance (USA VICE PRESIDENT).
"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 claimed he had asked to see the official voting figures but wasn't allowed.
He added: "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."
The reality TV star claimed it was the BBC's own welfare team who advised he sought legal advice over his departure from Strictly.
He wrote: "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).(sic)"
Thomas also noted Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly were stepping down as hosts of Strictly but insisted it was "coincidental".
He wrote: "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."
A Strictly Come Dancing spokesperson previously insisted the public vote is "robust".
They said: "Strictly Come Dancing's public vote is robust and independently overseen and verified to ensure complete accuracy."
Sources also told the Daily Mirror newspaper that they haven't received any legal complaint or paperwork from Thomas in relation to the voting figures.
