Thomas Skinner has been removed from his talent agency's website after he accused the BBC of rigging the Strictly Come Dancing vote to send him home first. The former Apprentice star, who was eliminated in week one of the 2025 series, claimed he received an anonymous email from a 'BBC exec' with stats suggesting he had far more votes than shown.
Skinner said he had the email independently verified and is seeking legal advice. The BBC has strongly denied the allegations, stating that votes are verified by an independent team. Days later, all mention of Skinner has vanished from Insanity PR's website, where he was previously listed as a client. The Independent has contacted the agency for comment.
In a lengthy statement on the morning of the final, Skinner wrote: 'On the night I left the show, I received an anonymous email… saying I’d received far more votes than it appeared.' He added that the BBC welfare team advised him to get legal advice, calling the situation 'unfair'. He also claimed he asked to see official voting figures but was told they could not be shown.
Skinner's casting was controversial due to his friendship with US vice president JD Vance and past social media comments about national identity and safety in London. He said he believes he has been 'made out to be someone I actually am not' because of his participation in the show.
Despite the row, Skinner will appear on BBC's Celebrity Apprentice on 29 and 30 December. The Strictly final saw Karen Carney win the Glitterball trophy, and hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman presented their last live episode.
