Thomas Skinner, star of The Apprentice, has finally spoken out after rumours circulated that he was ‘suing the BBC for rigging voting’ following his premature departure from the show.
Speaking on X, he revealed: “As most of you will have seen in the papers, I won’t be at the final of Strictly Come Dancing tonight. First thing I wanna say is this…. I spoke with my lovely dance partner, Amy Dowden to make sure she was okay with me not attending. She’s a good person and a good friend now, I’d never let her down.
“When I got given the opportunity to do Strictly back in April, I was buzzing. Not because I can dance…. I can’t. But because I really wanted to test myself and Learn something completely out of my comfort zone.
(Image: INSTAGRAM)
“On the night I left the show, I received an anonymous email claiming to be from a BBC exec with stats, saying I’d received far more votes than it appeared and it wasn’t right. I’ve since had the email independently verified”, reports the Mirror.
Claiming that the email mentioned that the BBC was “very angry and nervous” after Tom met with USA Vice President, JD Vance, Tom continued: “That same email mentioned the BBC was very angry an nervous simply because I had met JD Vance (USA VICE PRESIDENT).
“Let me be clear, I’m not a political bloke. Never have been. I just love my country and am patriotic. I’ve been made out by the press to be this political figure.
“If anyone was to get an opportunity like what I did, they would have taken it. I still think it is mad that a man like me who sells mattresses out of a van can call someone that senior in the world’s politics a friend now.”
Tom then said he had asked to see the official voting figures, but claimed the email ‘couldn’t be shown to him’, writing: “I have asked to see the official voting figures to back up the ones I was sent in the email but was told they couldn’t be shown to me. And have never been shown in the history of the show.”
(Image: Guy Levy/BBC/PA)
Insisting that he ‘genuinely respects’ the BBC, Tom claimed it was the broadcaster’s welfare team who advised he sought legal advice, continuing: “I have spoke about the email I had received to senior people and the BBC welfare team, who btw I genuinely respect. And they was the ones who advised me to get legal advice because of how unfair it all was. (This was not my idea).”
When asked to comment on earlier reports that Tom was taking legal action against the BBC, a spokesperson told The Mirror: “Strictly Come Dancing’s public vote is robust and independently overseen and verified to ensure complete accuracy.”
Sources at the corporation also told the Mirror it hasn’t received any legal complaint or paperwork in relation to this matter.
The Daily Star has approached the BBC for comment.
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