Thomas Skinner’s claims of vote rigging on Strictly Come Dancing appear undermined after independent poll showed he received just 1.4 per cent of votes
Thomas Skinner’s bombshell legal threat against the BBC looks to be in tatters after new voting data cast doubt over claims of vote-rigging on Strictly Come Dancing. The ex-Apprentice contestant previously said he was seeking legal advice over allegations that bosses of the BBC show fixed the vote to boot him off.
Yet a viewer survey suggests Thomas would have finished bottom on just 1.4 per cent of the public vote – a figure so dismal it undermines his conspiracy theory.
Thomas had alleged that on the evening of his departure he “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”. He maintained he had subsequently had the email “independently verified”.
BBC chiefs don’t publish the voting statistics, which are supervised by an independent firm PromoVeritas. This aligns with other BBC programmes, with the broadcaster’s duty of care to participants among the reasons for not releasing the figures.
However, an independent exit poll of 125,000 viewers which was conducted simultaneously by website Strictly Spoiler has been cited as “clear evidence of his unpopularity”, reports the Mirror.
According to the poll, Thomas would have garnered just 1805 votes, which was the poorest performance of any competitor on the BBC show – placing him bottom as per the official voting statistics that are subsequently merged with the judges’ marks.
A source told the Mirror: “The poll – which is larger than an exit poll for a general election – comprehensively shows that Skinner was the least popular contestant by a long way. There is no conspiracy. These are the cold, hard facts.”
Thomas, 34, claimed he was told the BBC were “angry and nervous” about his involvement in their programme due to his meeting with US Vice President J.D. Vance.
He said this week: “That same email mentioned the BBC was very angry and nervous simply because I had met JD Vance. 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.”
Thomas claimed he had requested to view the official voting figures but was refused access.
He added: “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.”
The reality TV personality said it was the BBC’s own welfare team who recommended he seek legal counsel regarding his Strictly exit. He penned: “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.”
BBC insiders have said they are yet to receive any legal correspondence from Thomas. A source said many within the Corporation felt disappointed by his outbursts, considering the support he received during his various controversies while on the show.
Thomas told the Mirror: “Regarding the anonymous email and verification process, I don’t wish to comment further at this time or release anything publicly. As for the voting figures, I know for a fact that the information you have is not accurate. That said, it doesn’t materially matter to me now, and I’m not looking to contest this publicly.”
He also issued a statement on social media, saying: “I want to be clear: I don’t hate the BBC… I’m not looking for conflict. I just want to get on with my life.”
A BBC Spokesperson said: “Strictly Come Dancing’s public vote is independently overseen and verified to ensure complete accuracy every week. Any claims to the contrary are entirely without foundation. Unfortunately, despite requests for it, Mr Skinner is yet to share the email he references with anyone from the BBC so we are unable to comment on it.”
PromoVeritas – the firm that independently verifies the Strictly public vote – said: “All votes are independently and comprehensively verified by two auditors. We can confirm that all votes received are validated. This has been the case every week and we have reported no issues with the public vote or how it is being represented in the final results.”
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