Former The Apprentice contestant Thomas Skinner has been removed from his talent agency's client list following his explosive claim that Strictly Come Dancing's voting was rigged to eliminate him first from the 2025 series.
The Allegations and the Anonymous Email
Skinner, who was the initial celebrity to be voted off this year's BBC dance competition, publicly stated on Saturday 20 December that he was seeking legal advice. His decision came after he received an anonymous email, purportedly from a BBC executive, which contained statistics suggesting he had received significantly more public votes than was indicated on the results show.
"I've since had the email independently verified," Skinner wrote in a lengthy social media post. He explained that he had asked the BBC to provide official voting figures to counter the ones he was sent but was told they "couldn't be shown to me and have never been shown in the history of the show."
The BBC has firmly refuted Skinner's claims, stating that all votes on Strictly Come Dancing are independently verified by a specialist team entirely separate from the show's production.
Swift Professional Repercussions
The fallout from his allegations has been swift in the professional sphere. The Independent can confirm that while Skinner was listed as a client on the Insanity PR website last week when news of his potential legal action first emerged, all mention of him has now been scrubbed.
This removal occurred shortly after he published his statement accusing the show of being unfair. The Independent has contacted Insanity PR for comment on the apparent severance of their professional relationship with Skinner.
In his post, Skinner insisted he was "not kicking off for attention" and acknowledged he was "rubbish at dancing." However, he emphasised his belief in "fairness and respect," and revealed that senior BBC staff and the corporation's welfare team had advised him to seek legal counsel due to the perceived injustice.
Controversial Casting and Future BBC Appearances
Skinner's casting on Strictly Come Dancing 2025 was controversial from the outset. He had been singled out by some due to his friendship with US Vice President JD Vance and past social media comments about London being "hostile" and "tense."
He believes he was unfairly portrayed in the media over the summer, stating, "The views were formed from media stories... that simply wasn't true or exaggerated. It ain't fair what has happened to me and my family."
Despite the dramatic fallout from Strictly, Skinner's relationship with the BBC is not entirely severed. He is scheduled to appear in Celebrity Apprentice on 29 and 30 December and attended the BBC's press launch for the show last month. His allegations were published on the morning of the Strictly live final on 20 December, which was won by Karen Carney and also marked the final hosting appearance of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.
