Thomas Skinner, the first celebrity voted off this year's Strictly Come Dancing, has alleged that the BBC rigged the vote to secure his elimination. The businessman claimed on social media that he received an anonymous email purportedly from a BBC executive showing he had received far more votes than were publicly counted.
Skinner, a former Apprentice contestant, was eliminated in September. He has described himself as non-political despite wearing a Make America Great Again cap and posing with US Vice-President JD Vance. The email also claimed the BBC was angry and nervous over his meeting with Vance.
The BBC denied the allegations, stating that the public vote is independently overseen and verified weekly. A spokesperson said Skinner had not shared the email despite requests, so the corporation could not comment on it. PromoVeritas, the independent verifier, confirmed all votes were validated with no issues reported.
Skinner claimed he had the email's authenticity independently verified, but the method is unclear. He also alleged his welcome gift was the only one stolen, which the BBC denied, saying no such gifts were supplied. Skinner announced he will not attend Saturday's final, though he remains on the BBC for Celebrity Apprentice later this month.
