Thomas Skinner, known for his appearance on The Apprentice and now a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing, has shared a throwback picture of himself with pink nails to raise awareness for breast cancer. In the Instagram post, he praised his dance partner Amy Dowden, who has battled breast cancer, calling her a 'living legend'.
The post, made on 1 October, shows a picture from six years ago when Skinner painted his nails pink for breast cancer awareness. He wrote: 'Now 6 years late I'm dancing on Strictly Come Dancing with my little Cancer warrior @amy_dowden who has battled breast cancer and helped raise awareness. She honestly is a living legend.'
Skinner also reminded men that they can get breast cancer and should check their chests. Amy responded in the comments, thanking him for his 'kind and lovely words' and looking forward to their day in the dance studio.
Skinner and Dowden were partnered on Strictly last month. In their first live show, they performed a Paso Doble to 'Battle Without Honour or Humanity' and scored 16 points, placing third from bottom. Next week, they will dance a Salsa to 'Bonkers' by Dizzee Rascal.
The post attracted some criticism, with one fan objecting to Dowden being called 'little', while another mocked Skinner's catchphrase 'Bosh'. However, others praised him for highlighting that breast cancer can affect men.
Amy Dowden also marked the start of Breast Cancer Awareness Month on her Instagram stories, sharing a picture from two years ago when she was in hospital with an infection. She wrote: 'Two years later here I am happy, stronger and doing what I love... If you're not checking, who is? Cancer doesn't discriminate.'
