Thomas Skinner, the first celebrity voted off the current series of Strictly Come Dancing, has alleged the BBC fixed the vote to secure his elimination. The former Apprentice contestant claimed on social media that he received an anonymous email from a supposed BBC executive containing statistics showing he had received far more votes than publicly indicated.
Skinner, 34, was eliminated in September. The email also allegedly stated the BBC was angry and nervous over his meeting with US vice-president JD Vance, during which Skinner wore a Make America Great Again cap. The BBC has denied the allegations, stating the public vote is independently overseen and verified weekly.
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 all votes are validated by two auditors and reported no issues.
Skinner also claimed his welcome gift from the show was stolen, but the BBC said no such gifts were supplied. He will not attend Saturday's final but is set to appear in Celebrity Apprentice on 29 and 30 December. The BBC is not aware of any legal complaint from Skinner.
