Thomas Skinner has been spotted leaving a tanning salon in Essex after The Mirror revealed his Covid loan scandal amid the Strictly Come Dancing star failure to repay the £50,000 fee
Strictly Come Dancing star Thomas Skinner was pictured looking downcast today before rehearsals as he headed for a sunbed session in Essex before being slapped with a parking ticket. Former Apprentice star Thomas, 34, looked pensive after his tanning treatment amid fresh scandal.
Controversy erupted over the reality TV star’s Fluffy Pillow Company and it’s failure to repay a £50,000 Covid loan, despite his social media boasts of success. Father-of-three Thomas, who has been paired with professional dancer Amy Dowden on the latest series of Strictly, is said to be throwing himself into training for his first routines while juggling growing questions about his business finances.
Ahead of rehearsals, the Strictly Come Dancing star enjoyed some pamper time to himself as he headed to the Essex-based tanning salon in the hopes of securing the perfect bronzed flow before Saturday night’s big show. Despite landing a spot on one of the biggest and most loved show’s in the UK, Thomas looked downcast and glum as he ran his self-care errands amid the latest scandal surrounding him.
The reality TV star donned a casual attire consisting of a navy tracksuit and a matching navy vest. The Strictly Come Dancing star finished off his very dressed-down ensemble by tucking the ends of his tracksuit pants into a pair of black socks. Thomas slipped into a pair of black Ugg boots to run his errands.
After his tanning session, he departed the beauty store and appeared to take a phone call. Thomas looked rather stressed and downcast as he pulled faces while speaking on his mobile.
Yesterday, The Mirror revealed that one of Thomas’ firms has not paid back a £50,000 Covid bounce back loan – despite the star boasting about turning over “millions” during the pandemic.
The star is at the centre of new controversy over his company finances after it emerged one business applied for the tax-payer-funded Government loan in 2020. Five years on, there is no record of the firm – the Fluffy Pillow Company – which lists Skinner as the sole director – ever paying the loan back.
This is despite Skinner going on to say how that firm – and a second, Bosh Beds – both profited specifically from the UK pandemic. He even says the latter business was able to “ride a wave on the back of Covid.”
The Government loan scheme was intended to provide relief to small businesses who had been “adversely affected” by Covid.
The scheme was self-certified meaning the lender did not verify the applicant’s financial information upfront. Instead, the applicant declares it themselves. This approach was intended to speed up the application process and get money out faster during the crisis.