Former The Apprentice star Thomas Skinner was overcome with emotion during a dramatic return to Lord Sugar's boardroom for a festive special. The moment occurred during filming for The Celebrity Apprentice Christmas special, set to air in aid of BBC Children In Need later this month.
An Emotional Homecoming
Skinner, who first found fame as a candidate in the show's 2019 series, reportedly broke down in tears shortly after stepping back into the iconic room. He was reuniting with business magnate Lord Sugar, who teased him about his newfound "celebrity status" following his appearance on Strictly Come Dancing earlier this year.
Reflecting on the powerful moment, Skinner explained to The Daily Mail how it brought his journey full circle. "When I was there it just made me think back to when I was first sitting in the boardroom back in 2019," he said. "Like I didn't really have anything back then, before I had kids and before I built my businesses up really properly."
From Apprentice to Strictly and Back
The pillow salesman, who was fired in week nine of his original Apprentice stint, has since built a successful public career. This year, he partnered with professional dancer Amy Dowden on Strictly, though they were the first pair to be eliminated from the competition.
However, his time on the dance show was marred by difficulty. Skinner later expressed regret about taking part, citing "constant abuse" he received online. In a series of frustrated posts on X earlier this year, he stated: "I wish I never done Strictly, I never fitted the bill for that show let's be honest. And it's caused me nothing but agg."
He described feeling targeted and struggling with the public perception, ultimately deciding to take a break to focus on his family.
A Star-Studded Charity Challenge
The special that prompted Skinner's emotional return will see a host of celebrities compete for BBC Children In Need. The line-up includes AJ Odudu, Angela Scanlon, Charlie Hedges, Eddie Kadi, Jake Wood, JB Gill, Kadeena Cox, Matt Morsia, Rob Rinder, Sarah Hadland, and Shazia Mirza.
Their task is to create unique gingerbread biscuits. For Skinner, participating was a poignant honour. "I sort of sat and thought, 'Wow, this experience all those years ago put me on the map really and made me successful I suppose, and opened so many doors for me'," he shared. "So to sit back and help to do it for such a great cause like Children In Need was a proper honour."
The Celebrity Apprentice will air over two episodes on December 29 and 30 at 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
