The BBC could face renewed controversy as former Strictly Come Dancing contestant Thomas Skinner's allegations of voting manipulation are reportedly set to be revisited in an upcoming television documentary about his life.
From Market Trader to Reality Star
Thomas Skinner, the 34-year-old market trader who first gained national attention through his appearance on The Apprentice in 2019, participated in the 23rd series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2025 alongside professional dancer Amy Dowden. Following his early elimination from the competition, Skinner made headlines by claiming the voting process had been deliberately manipulated to ensure his departure from the show.
Legal Threats and Ongoing Dispute
The reality television personality openly admitted to seeking legal advice and threatened to sue the BBC, alleging that executives had interfered with official voting figures. Skinner maintained his position during a recent appearance on Good Morning Britain, where he discussed the controversy with presenters Susanna Reid and Ed Balls.
"I know I can't dance, I know I can't dance," Skinner told the ITV programme. "I enjoyed dancing with Amy because she's an absolute legend. All I'm going to say is whenever I put something on social media, I get like 20 million views and about 200,000 likes. Do you know what I mean?"
Documentary Series Development
According to reports from The Sun, Skinner is now developing his own reality documentary series that will examine various aspects of his life, including his political activities with Reform UK and his unexpected friendship with US Vice President JD Vance. Industry sources suggest television executives are likely to compete for broadcasting rights once production is complete.
The series is expected to address Skinner's time on Strictly Come Dancing and the subsequent allegations he made against the programme. Inspired by documentary formats such as The Osbournes, the show will follow what Skinner describes as "the busiest six months of his life filled with everything from politics to the cha-cha-cha."
Conflicting Evidence and Official Responses
Skinner has claimed to possess an anonymous email from what he describes as a BBC executive, containing statistical evidence that he received significantly more public votes than were officially recorded. He stated on social media platform 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."
However, these claims appear to contradict an independent exit poll conducted by website Strictly Spoiler, which surveyed 125,000 viewers. The poll indicated Skinner received just 1.4% of the public vote, amounting to approximately 1,805 votes - the lowest of all contestants. A source told The Mirror at the time: "The poll comprehensively shows that Skinner was the least popular contestant by a long way. There is no conspiracy. These are the cold, hard facts."
The BBC has consistently denied any wrongdoing, with a spokesperson stating: "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."
Political Connections and Celebrity Encounters
Beyond the Strictly controversy, Skinner's documentary is expected to explore his political engagements, including his support for Reform UK. The series will likely feature his surprising friendship with US Vice President JD Vance, whom Skinner met through social media connections.
Skinner recounted their meeting during his Good Morning Britain appearance: "Basically he sent me a message on Instagram or Twitter, he said I love your videos, I love your motivation. I'm a bit of a fan, can we meet up for a pint when I come to the UK?" The pair eventually socialised at a private gathering in the Cotswolds, with Skinner describing the experience as "unreal" in subsequent social media posts.
Independent Verification and Industry Standards
PromoVeritas, the independent company responsible for verifying Strictly Come Dancing's public vote, has confirmed their rigorous auditing processes. A representative stated: "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."
Skinner and Dowden scored 29 out of 80 points across their two performances before landing in the bottom two alongside former rugby player Chris Robshaw, who was ultimately saved by the judging panel. The series finale saw Karen Carney and Carlos Gu lift the Glitterball trophy.
As development continues on Skinner's documentary series, television industry observers anticipate renewed scrutiny of the voting controversy that has persisted since his Strictly elimination. The programme's potential exploration of these allegations could reignite public debate about reality television voting processes and their transparency.
