Thomas Skinner, the former star of The Apprentice, has revealed that he received death threats after posting a photo in which he failed to social distance from his friends. The pillow salesman, who is expecting a baby with his partner, apologised on Twitter for the image, which showed him sitting closer than two metres from his friends amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In a video shared on Twitter, Skinner said: "Just thought I would apologise for the picture I stuck up yesterday. Completely careless and I didn’t think, so sorry I’ve upset people. However I did want to say that the Messages I got wanting me to die and messages saying I don’t deserve to have a business was unfair."
Skinner also faced fake negative reviews on his business, The Fluffy Pillow Company. He explained that he had visited a friend's garden for beers and momentarily failed to adhere to the two-metre rule. He added: "I put myself at risk, it was absolutely careless, I didn't think and I just want to apologise."
Addressing the abusive messages, Skinner said: "I had some people saying that they wanted me to die. I had people messaging me saying they wanted to fail in business. Guys! I work bloody hard to get to where I got to. A couple of years ago I changed my life for the better." He referenced his past, including criminal records and debt, and noted that he had donated pillows to the homeless and given discount codes to NHS staff.
Supporters responded positively on Twitter, with one writing: "Great respect for you," and another saying: "Wtf how do people wish death upon others."
