Tom Skinner, the Apprentice star and Strictly Come Dancing contestant, was caught after saying he wouldn’t be watching the Strictly final because it was claimed he is “suing” the BBC.
While the cast of Strictly Come Dancing 2025 prepare to take to the ballroom for the final, Tom Skinner has been spotted having a pint away from London, as he confirms he will not attend the show.
Shortly after sources claimed Tom, who was the first to be eliminated from this year’s series, was ‘suing’ the BBC over his early exit, the star confirmed that he would not be attending the live final. On X earlier today (20 December), he addressed the speculation about him in the press and said: “I won’t be at the final of Strictly Come Dancing tonight.”
The star was later caught smoking a cigarette and a pint outside Tom’s Seafood stall at the pub in the Essex village of Great Warley. Tom was wearing a green quarter-zip jumper, dark cargo bottoms, and a fake tan from the Strictly ballroom, far from the sparkles and fake tan. Additionally, he had replaced his dancing boots with his shoes.
The Apprentice star, who will return to the business show for a Christmas special, was seen grinning and laughing as he enjoyed his pint. Meanwhile, his former dance partner Amy Dowden and the rest of the 2025 Strictly cast have been preparing for the final tonight. Every year, the eliminated contestants return for one last group dance.
Tom left a message on X earlier today explaining his reasons for skipping the show. He claimed to have spoken with Amy before making a decision. The first thing I want to say is this … I spoke with Amy Dowden, my lovely dance partner, to make sure she understood that I wouldn’t be there. I would never let her down because she is now both a good person and friend.
“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. 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.That same email mentioned the BBC was very angry an nervous simply because I had met JD Vance (USA VICE PRESIDENT).”
He continued, adding that he “asked for confirmation of the official voting figures in the email, but was turned down. He claimed that because of how unfair it all was, he had “sincere respect” for the BBC senior staff and welfare team he spoke to and that they had “recommended him to seek legal advice.”
Tom added that the only host on the program who didn’t receive a “welcome gift” felt odd and that “ain’t fair” was also true. He continued, “It was strange that Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman chose to step down from the show the week after he received the email, but that he was stating that it had nothing to do with him, and that it was just very coincidental.”
He continued, “I don’t want it to be national news, but I now feel like he needs to make a statement so that people can be informed as to why I’m not attending””. When I’m not bitter, I don’t want people to think that, “he wrote.
Prior to this, a source told The Sun that Tom was suing the BBC for rigging the votes to get him out of the show, but Tom has not confirmed that. Equally, the BBC have said they have received no legal paperwork. They added to The Mirror : “Strictly Come Dancing’s public vote is robust and independently overseen and verified to ensure complete accuracy.”
Source: Mirror
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