Strictly Come Dancing divided fans when they announced former The Apprentice star, Thomas Skinner, as one of the contestants in the upcoming series of the competition
Strictly Come Dancing fans were divided when The Apprentice star Tom Skinner was announced as a contestant on the upcoming series of the BBC dance competition. He initially gained a huge following due to his everyman persona mainly going on about grafting hard for success.
However, he has been at the receiving end of backlash in recent months due to his controversial social media posts and newly-formed friendship with US Vice President JD Vance. When the programme confirmed his stint on the show, many rushed to the comment section to share their concerns.
One user said: “”Oh no. This man is so offensive,” and another posted: “Yeah Strictly … this ain’t it. This is such a bad vibe choice. Ugly opinions and deeply polarising. Can’t help but feel like this is going to be an own goal.”
Some were more supportive and wrote: “Brilliant news to get such a great character on the show. I’ll certainly be watching this year. Top chap.” It comes after a Strictly Come Dancing star pulls out of show as he makes career announcement.
READ MORE: Strictly Come Dancing’s Tom Skinner responds to fierce backlash after BBC announcementREAD MORE: Strictly’s Thomas Skinner responds to Narinder Kaur after she slammed BBC show for signing him
Ahead of his stint on the dance competition, The Mirror took a deep dive into his life from his JD Vance friendship to controversial comments…
JD Vance friendship
While followers enjoyed his no-nonsense posts on X/Twitter, he has been known to share controversial views on his personal page.
He recently revealed he enjoyed a BBQ with US Vice President JD Vance after showing support for convicted felon Donald Trump and the Republican Party. Vance and Skinner previously chatted on social media before meeting “in the beautiful English countryside” where the VP is holidaying in the Cotswolds.
After hanging out, Skinner wrote on X: “Unreal night with JD and his friends and family. He was a proper gent. Lots of laughs and some fantastic food. A brilliant night, one to tell the grand kids about.”
He also posted a picture of himself posing with Vance after a “couple of beers”. He said: “Here is a pic of Me and Vice President @JDVance towards the end of the night after a few beers.
“I’m overdressed in my suit, but when the VP invites you to a BBQ, you don’t risk turning up in shorts an flip-flops. Cracking night in the beautiful English countryside with JD, his friends and family. Once in a lifetime. Bosh.”
Vance first voiced his support for Skinner when the former Apprentice star said he was receiving ‘death threats’ a ‘comments about his children’ after he claimed ‘something’s gone wrong in the UK’ and wanted to stand up for ‘traditional, hard-working, family values.’
The VP shared a picture of an ‘incel’ cartoon character from South Park and told him: “Hang in there, my friend. Remember that 90 percent of people attacking your family look like this.”
Controversial tweets
Not only has Skinner voiced his support for Trump, he once urged people to “stop bending over backwards for the woke brigade” in a since-deleted post on X.
He previously claimed on X that “London has fallen”, posting to his followers: “I still believe in its people. And I believe it can rise again. But we need change. Real change. We need safety. We need pride. We need leadership that understands the streets, the markets, the working class.”
Some thought he was criticising London mayor Sadiq Khan, but Skinner claimed he doesn’t vote and distanced himself from politics. He said: “I don’t vote. I’ve been invited to the houses of parliament by Labour to talk about small businesses.
“The problem we have about the political parties in the UK is the people behind them are normally failed business people or they have worked in the political sector they’re whole working life and don’t understand the real world. We need more people with a backbone in politics. Who understand the real world. Who understand real problems.”
He recently denied being right wing after meeting up with Vance. Speaking to MailOnline following the Strictly announcement, he said: “I’m not right wing. Some people will hate you without ever really knowing you.”
However, he still declared support for Trump and even posed in a MAGA hat in a post shared online.
In November last year, he sad in a since-deleted tweet: “David Lammy has made a proper t*t of himself hasn’t he. This is the Geeza we have representing the UK. Why don’t we have real people in politics, business owners and real people who actually know how to become successful and stand up for what is right. People that have been in real life situations and had to adapt. Not be a weatherc**k.”
Skinner added: “Anyway I love Trump I think he is brilliant, that’s my opinion. I think it’s good he is back in charge, it will be good for the UK economy. UK always piggy backs off the USA. We all have opinions that is mine. Happy Wednesday I’m gonna drink another lemon Fanta and eat some paella.”
In a recent Tweet, Tom revealed he enjoyed “winding people up on X” as he wrote: “I love my Country. I love my Wife. I love my Kids. I love my Family. I love my Friends. I love West Ham. I love Dinos Cafe. I love my followers. I love my grub. I love winding people up on X. GOOD NIGHT GOD BLESS. BOSH”
Past convictions
Prior to his television appearances, commercial achievements, and celebrity status, Skinner’s life took a dramatically different direction.
In 2016, at just 24 years old, he as convicted for handling stolen merchandise valued at nearly £40,000 after purchasing 4,992 tubes of Body Shop cleansing gel and having 2,000 diazepam tablets from what he subsequently acknowledged was an “unreliable source”.
He was later sentenced and his conviction has since been spent and Skinner has since maintained he’s a “changed man”. He told the Daily Mail in a previous interview: “Many years ago before I had my business, I was young and naive and bought stock from someone I didn’t know.
“I wasn’t aware the stock was stolen and paid the consequences for the mistake I made. That is now well in my past, I’ve had a string of successful companies since then. I am a changed man.”
After news of Tom’s past broke just before his stint on The Apprentice in 2019 aired, a BBC spokesperson said: “DBS checks are done for all The Apprentice candidates by the production company ahead of filming.
“A spent conviction is not disclosed under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. Spent convictions are designed to help people move on in life and not be excluded from opportunities to help further their careers.”
Narinder Kaur row
Narinder Kaur was one of many who slammed Strictly Come Dancing for signing Skinner onto the show.
Narinder, who is best known as an ex-Big Brother contestant, took to X immediately to complain about the news that he is to be on the show as she claimed she had been deemed ‘too controversial’ for it herself.
She said: “Apparently I was deemed too controversial for @bbcstrictly because they only hire quiet brown and black women that fit in a box. But you can be a white man AND be controversial and you’ll be hired on the spot! Hello Thomas Skinner!! #BBCStrictly your unconscious bias and prejudicial views against British brown women is disgraceful.”
In an accompanying video, Narinder added that she was ‘raging’ with the broadcaster for the actions as she pointed out his criminal past. She said: “They wouldn’t take me on, we approached them and they said that I was too controversial. They put brown women and black women on who are quiet because that’s the kind of brown and black woman their audience likes.
“But God forbid you’re a brown woman who has some opinions, then they’ll never take you on. But if white man, Thomas Skinner, proud patriot, Thomas Skinner, of the online right, who has got a criminal past, they’ll take you on!”
He soon responded: “Narinder, I respect that you stand up for what you believe in, not everyone’s got the guts to do that. Yes, I’ve got a past, but I’m not here to divide people.
“I’m just trying to get people to believe in themselves and realise they can do more than they think. Life can be so much better when you let happiness in and don’t always be angry towards others. If I’ve ever upset you, I’m sorry… that’s never been my intention. I wish ya nothing but peace, happiness, and a life you can truly enjoy. Bosh.”
Strictly Come Dancing backlash
Since the announcement of Tom joining the Strictly line-up, he was met with a lot of backlash online.
As the news was shared on Strictly’s official Instagram page, one viewer wrote: “A disgusting booking on a show that seemingly celebrates inclusivity and diversity.” Another show fan said: “I cannot believe you’re platforming this guy.”
While a third added: “Awful choice” followed by two green faced emoji.
Tom has since responded to the backlash on his X page as he tweeted: “They say don’t read the comments on social media. But I couldn’t help myself. I’ve had absolute pellets all day on my instagram lost about going on strictly.” He then shared a link to Instagram as he went on: “Have a look at some of these on Instagram …. Why are some people so angry that don’t even know me. Not Bosh.”
In a later post, Tom revealed why he thinks he’s been branded a controversial signing to the show. He wrote: “Good morning you lovely people!! Big day today! It’s the first day filming for Strictly! Buzzing for it, proud as anything, but the reason I’m up and out the door at 2.30am is because I’ve got to get all my normal work done beforehand!
“I have had so much love on here btw, just wanted to say thank you for all the support. Some call me “controversial,” but I think it’s just a dig at normal, hard-working people if I’m honest. But we don’t let that stop us. We keep going, we look out for each other, and we use it to drive us forward. I would absolutely LOVE to be able to sleep in bed till about 6 or 7, but with 3 kids, a lovely home, and a wife who’s in Marks & Spencer four times a week, I’ve got to keep the wheels turning!
“So whatever’s in your way today, don’t let it slow ya down. Back yaself and back each other, and keep smiling whilst ya do it. I’ll be having a pint later this evening in my local…..so if you are around that area. Beers on me. Have a blinding day everyone. Bosh”.
Family life
The Strictly Come Dancing star regularly shares updates of his family life on social media.
Tom is married to wife Sinéad Chambers and the couple, who wed in May 2022, share three children together. Tom and Sinéad first welcomed son Henry in October 2020 and also share twin daughter’s Darla and Roma, who were born in June 2023.
He regularly shares snaps of his family life on Instagram featuring his wife and two children. Earlier this week, he posted a sweet snap of his family of five as they took a trip to Blenheim Palace where he shared a photo of his clan and wrote on the Instagram share: “We had the most beautiful afternoon walking around the amazing Blenheim Palace. The architecture is simply stunning and the history was incredible. Kids absolutely loved it too. Great family day out. Bosh”.
Sinéad responded with a gushing comment which read: “Making memories with our little family is my favourite”.
As well as sharing snaps from family days out, he also gives fans a glimpse inside his home as she shared a video of himself prepping his Sunday roast dinner earlier this month. He wrote in the caption: “Happy Sunday you lovely people. My favourite day of the week and it’s a Skinner tradition. A big old roast dinner, and look at this stunning bit of sirloin beef from me local butcher, all me veg from the local farm shop and we are gonna feast on this, going to enjoy a nice can of thatchers whilst I cook. Sending love to you are yours. Have a wonderful one. Bosh”.
Tom previously revealed his motivation for ‘working so hard’ as he shared photos of his family at Christmas time. He wrote in a tweet: “This is why i work so hard. I’m so lucky to have 3 beautiful children, Henry, Darla & Roma! I love them so much. I will give them everything in life and will teach them manors, respect, kindness and love. My little ones will learn that anything you dream in life can be achieved with hard work and persistence. My wonderful wife Sinéad & I are double proud parents. Bosh”.
The Apprentice
“I always think back to where I was in my life many years ago; Selling knocked off goods, sleeping on a fold out bed on the floor downstairs and driving a clapped out £500 van,” Skinner once told The Sun as he discussed his rise to fame.
The star was thrust into the spotlight when he appeared on The Apprentice in 2019, lasting all the way to the quarter-finals. At the time, he was the owner of The Fluffy Pillow Company, which sold beds, mattresses and memory foam pillows of his design.
He applied to the show after his girlfriend of the time convinced him to but was fired by Lord Alan Sugar in week nine.
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