Thomas Skinner, the first contestant eliminated from the current series of Strictly Come Dancing, has accused the BBC of manipulating the public vote to secure his departure. The businessman claimed on social media that he received an anonymous email, purportedly from a BBC executive, with statistics showing he had garnered significantly more votes than officially recorded.
Skinner, a former Apprentice contestant, was voted off in September. He alleges the email also stated the BBC was “angry” and “nervous” about his meeting with US vice-president JD Vance. The corporation has categorically denied the claims, stating that the public vote is independently overseen and verified for accuracy each week.
A BBC spokesperson said: “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 verifier of the vote, confirmed that all votes are validated by two auditors and no issues have been reported.
Skinner also claimed other irregularities, including that his welcome gift to the show was the only one stolen. The BBC responded that the production team did not supply welcome gifts to any cast members. Reports suggest Skinner plans to sue the BBC, though the corporation is not aware of any legal complaint.
Skinner will not attend Saturday’s final but is set to appear in the upcoming Celebrity Apprentice on BBC. The final will see Karen Carney, Amber Davies and George Clarke compete for the trophy.
