Strictly’s Thomas Skinner ‘sues BBC for “rigging public vote” to eliminate him first’ following affair scandal – after the controversial star pulls out of show’s live final
Thomas Skinner, the first star of 2025 to be eliminated, is reportedly suing the BBC after claiming bosses ‘rigged’ the public vote to remove him from the show amid negative headlines.
The Apprentice star, 34, had already been seen as a controversial signing due to his outspoken Right-wing views, but the storm only grew when he admitted cheating on wife Sinead just weeks after they married.
But although viewers claimed they were ‘traumatized’ by Thomas’ performance, he is said to have been convinced that he could prove he had won a larger share of the public vote, which should have saved him from the dance.
Thomas and professional partner Amy Dowden, 35, scored a dismal 29 out of 80 across the two shows and were placed in the bottom two alongside former rugby player Chris Robshaw, who was eventually saved by the judges.
A source said: ‘The BBC is already facing a £7.5bn lawsuit from Donald Trump; Now Vice President J.D. Vance’s friend Thomas is also taking on the case.’
The president filed a $10 billion lawsuit against the embattled company after it was revealed that he had rigged his speech on its Panorama episode.
Thomas Skinner, 34, who became Strictly’s first star to be eliminated in 2025, is reportedly suing the BBC after claiming bosses ‘rigged’ the vote to remove him from the show amid negative headlines
The Apprentice star was considered a controversial signing even before he admitted cheating on wife Sinead (pictured alongside pro Amy Dowden)
they continued to tell Sun: ‘Thomas is adamant that he has won a larger share of the popular vote and believes he has the evidence to prove it. He is determined to see this through, but there is no way the BBC can ignore this sensational claim. ‘They will vigorously defend any allegations that the vote was rigged or tampered with.’
‘He believes the BBC are determined to get him out as soon as possible, no matter how many fans are behind him.’
The Daily Mail has contacted Thomas’ representatives for comment.
A BBC spokesperson said: ‘The public rating for Strictly Come Dancing is robust and is independently audited and verified to ensure complete accuracy.’
In October, Thomas said he wished he had ‘Absolutely Never Gone Dancing’ as he was subjected to ‘constant harassment’ after it was revealed he was cheating on his wife.
The star also withdrew from appearing in Saturday’s final due to scheduling conflicts.
But fans will be happy to know that Amy, who recently underwent a second mastectomy following her battle with breast cancer, will also be in attendance.
It looks like Thomas will be back for the Celebrity Apprentice specials this Christmas, despite having sued the BBC.
But although viewers claimed they were ‘traumatized’ by Thomas’ performance, he is said to be convinced he can prove he has won a larger share of the public vote
A source said: ‘No matter how many fans he has, he believes the BBC are determined to get him out as soon as possible.’
Thomas said he wished he had ‘Absolutely Never Goed Dancing’ as he was subjected to ‘constant abuse’ after it was revealed he was cheating on his wife (pictured together)
The businessman was one of 16 candidates in the process in 2019 and despite being unable to meet Lord Sugar’s investment, he has launched a number of successful ventures.
In the first of two festival specials, viewers will see Thomas burst into tears as he returns to the boardroom with the celebrities and tells Lord Sugar that being on the show ‘changed his life’.
Speaking about his Apprentice return, Thomas said: ‘It was a real honour. I loved doing The Apprentice for the first time and it was a great experience.
‘It changed my life so much and it was a real honor to be invited back to the famous version of Children In Need and I was so honored to be there and help the team and other cast members raise money for charity. ‘Being in the boardroom brought back feelings of how it had changed my life.’
It looks like Thomas will be back for the Celebrity Apprentice specials this Christmas, despite suing the BBC
In the opening moments of the celebrity special, Thomas became visibly emotional as he returned to Lord Sugar’s famous boardroom and admitted he did not expect to receive such a reaction when he returned to the show after filming the episodes.
He said: ‘No, never in a million years, no. But when I got there, it reminded me of the first time I sat in that meeting room in 2019… like I didn’t really have anything back then, before I had kids and had my business really properly established.
‘And I thought, ‘Wow, this experience all those years ago really put me on the map and I think made me successful and opened a lot of doors for me, so it was such an honor to sit back and help do this for a great cause like Children in Need.’
