Thomas Skinner, the first celebrity voted off this year's Strictly Come Dancing, has alleged the BBC rigged the public vote leading to his elimination. The former Apprentice contestant said he received an anonymous email from someone claiming to be a BBC executive showing he had received far more votes than were publicly tallied.
The BBC has denied the claims, stating the public vote is independently overseen and verified weekly. A spokesperson said any allegations to the contrary are 'entirely without foundation' and noted Skinner has not shared the supposed email with the corporation despite requests.
PromoVeritas, the company that independently verifies the Strictly vote, confirmed all votes are validated by two auditors each week and no issues have been reported. The BBC said it is unaware of any legal complaint from Skinner, despite reports he plans to sue.
Skinner also claimed his welcome gift for the show was stolen, but the BBC said no such gifts were supplied to cast members. He will not attend Saturday's final and is due to appear on Celebrity Apprentice later this month.
