Archive September 9, 2025

Strictly Come Dancing bosses may say they want to avoid controversy, but casting Thomas Skinner in this year’s line-up proves they invite their own drama at times

When I first saw Tom Skinner’s Strictly Come Dancing promo picture on my Twitter (X) feed, I initially assumed it had come via a parody post – it seemed that ludicrous.

Why on earth would an embattled TV show supposedly so desperate to stop the scandal after scandal cycle and move on from the last few years of controversies want to take a risk with such a clearly divisive signing? Especially as the showbiz world is filled with ‘safer’, more established celebrities dying to don some sequins and take to the Strictly dancefloor.

Before Strictly has even taken over Saturday night viewing, Tom has already made the BBC look stupid – thanks to storming out of an interview and snatching a reporter’s phone just hours on from BBC director-general Tim Davie defending the decision to cast him in the upcoming series of Strictly.

To those blissfully unaware of the controversy attached to Tom, he is simply The Apprentice contestant who enjoys grafting and eating pie and mash at 5am. To others, he is a privately educated man who grew up in a £2.5m house flirting with right-wing politics while presenting as a working class man of the people on social media.

Despite the fact many are convinced the dad-of-three is being groomed to become a Reform Party candidate at the next general election, there are no credible sources or hard evidence to confirm Tom has any ambitions to waltz his way into Westminster after his time on Strictly. His critics are simply going off vibes and Tom’s questionable Twitter updates when sharing their predictions.

But even if Tom – who claims he is neither on the left or right – does stick to just sharing 500 word tweets about his love for the Union Jack flag and British culture online, he still remains a very polarising character – far from the ideal Strictly contestant in a time of turmoil for the BBC.

From donning Make America Great Again baseball caps to cosying up with J.D Vance, Tom has made it clear he has no problem aligning himself to right-wing figures that have made no secret of the fact they want to meddle in UK politics.

I’ve interviewed Tom a couple of times over the years, back when he was best known for eating a curry in the early hours of the morning at his beloved Dino’s Cafe and using the word ‘bosh’ in lieu of a full stop. I really liked him – he was funny, honest and not particularly media trained, meaning it was always a fun chat.

Back then, he seemed more interested in a stint on I’m a Celebrity rather than learning how to dance – admitting he came close to camping Down Under in 2023.

“I was the bookies’ favourite by a long way to go in there this year but a deal couldn’t be done this year so…” he admitted to me after Sam Thompson was crowned King of the Jungle.

“I would 100% accept it if they asked me on again. I think I’d be quite good at it. I ain’t scared of nothing apart from heights yeah, but I would like to overcome that fear. I’m well good with people, I’d be a good little chef in there and lose a little bit of weight – plus it’s a free holiday to Australia!”

But it seems ITV are keeping good on their promise to keep politics out of camp following the backlash from Nigel Farage and Matt Hancock’s rehabilitative stints on the show. The BBC, however, seems happy to take over when it comes to adding a sprinkling of controversy to its reality TV output.

It’s a shame that in a line-up that includes Ellie Goldstein, the show’s first contestant with Down syndrome, and Drag Race icon La Voix, the BBC has scored an own goal and forced Tom Skinner to be the main talking point rather than focusing on the positives

Strictly bosses surely knew signing Tom up for the 2025 series would spark backlash and doing so, it seems they don’t actually care that much about shaking off the scandal tag tainting the show.

William White is the subject of a new documentary, which delves into the rise and fall of the social media influencer who became known for his ‘thirst traps’.

Viral TikTok sensation William White is the focus of Paramount Plus’ fresh documentary, Thirst Trap: The Fame. The Fantasy. The Fallout.

As the title indicates, this two-part series explores the meteoric rise and dramatic downfall of the social media personality, who gained notoriety for sharing ‘thirst traps’.

The synopsis states: “A TikTok lip-sync to Barry Manilow’s “Mandy” launches William White into viral stardom, and into the hearts of a generation of women; unpacking the rise, the fandom and the chaos that follows when fantasy crashes into reality.”

With the documentary now available on Paramount+, audiences are keen to discover how William catapulted to stardom and his current whereabouts, reports the Mirror US.

How did William White become famous?

Born in 2000, William rocketed to celebrity status after launching a TikTok profile in January 2020. What began as a pastime for the former landscaper rapidly drew a following of self-described cougars, who became utterly captivated by the 21-year-old.

His appeal amongst Gen X women was further amplified by the content creator’s thirst trap clips, where he would perform dance routines and occasionally mime along to beloved 70s and 80s hits.

It was his performance lip-syncing Barry Manilow’s chart-topper ‘Mandy’ that triggered the emergence of his dedicated following.

READ MORE: Trisha Paytas fans in ‘tears’ after star issues urgent plea

The middle-aged admirers subsequently established a supporter group dubbed the Grotto Girls, who proceeded to lavish William with adoration and thousands of pounds.

In the docu-series, one fan reveals she gifted around $200,000 in total to the Canadian influencer. Fans’ donations were frequently made during his TikTok Live broadcasts or sent straight to his PayPal account.

Supporters had spotted that every contribution could result in William acknowledging them live on air, which made them feel individually recognised by the celebrity. Consequently, many continued sending cash as a method of securing his attention.

However, this online fanbase would soon become consumed with envy after William slept with one of his devoted long-term admirers.

The intimate liaison marked one of the initial moments that triggered toxic behaviour within the community, including leaked nude images, which are discussed in the documentary.

Where is William White now?

The fanbase’s shift in mood left the content creator exasperated, prompting him to snap during his exchanges with supporters.

As the 25-year-old reveals in the documentary, he sometimes addressed viewers harshly, which damaged his pin-up image. Many viewers distanced themselves from the celebrity as a result.

In 2024, William discovered his new beginning in Greece, where he underwent baptism at Marmari Paradise Beach. The ritual was witnessed by several fans, who travelled from various nations “just for Will”.

The TikToker has stated he feels “different” following the religious ceremony, though he admits “it could be placebo or it could be Jesus Christ. I guess we’ll never know.”

Come 2025, the Canadian sensation continues to upload videos under the handle @whitey18, although he’s largely moved away from creating ‘thirst trap’ content.

He briefly quit social media back in March but made a swift comeback just two days later.

Eyeing up his future prospects, the influencer has set his sights on Hollywood.

“When I’m 30, in five or six years, I hope I’m an actor,” he reveals in the documentary.

Prince Harry has been reaching out to UK pals and trying to build bridges, a new report has claimed amid the Duke of Sussex’s visit to the UK for the WellChild Awards and other engagements

In a rare trip to the UK, Prince Harry has attended the WellChild Awards, as well as conducting a series of other visits to the charities he supports. The Duke of Sussex has come back to his home country solo with Meghan and his children remaining in California, and reports are swirling that he might reunite with his father, King Charles, whilst he is visiting.

Harry’s been public about his desire to build bridges with his family, with whom relations have been strained since he decided to step back as a working royal five years ago. After moving across the pond, Harry has been candid about his grievances with some of his relatives – and their staff – with his memoir Spare also lifting the lid on his childhood and longstanding sibling rivalry with Prince William.

However, royal insiders claim that Harry has been “pining” for the UK and desperately trying to make amends with his friends from home.

READ MORE: Prince Harry suddenly backtracks on family feud as Prince William ups the anteREAD MORE: Queen’s brave four-word reaction after being told she was going to die

One of the Duke’s friends told the Standard that this has included sending them “long” messages on WhatsApp trying to reconnect, indicating he is really “homesick” for the UK.

“Spike (his nickname among his old school friends) is seriously homesick. He’s started reaching out to us more and more.

“It started with very long and earnest WhatsApps. We actually all made a decision when we started getting them not to take the p*ss out of them.

“Something we couldn’t have imagined doing a few years before. Anyway, gradually, he seems to be sounding more normal. Whenever anyone goes to America they try to see him. It never seems to be with Meghan though. We think he is beginning to pine for home,” the pal explained.

The report claims that the pining isn’t just going one way across the Atlantic, with King Charles also missing having a relationship with his youngest son. A courtier told the outlet that Charles has “always absolutely adored” Harry, and in fact has had a more strained relationship with William over the years than his younger son, despite Harry’s tendency in recent years to drop public bombshells.

In an interview with the BBC after he lost his case against the Home Office to have his automatic police security reinstated, Harry said he was “devastated” not to be on speaking terms with his family, and claimed Charles “won’t speak to me because of this security stuff”.

Harry also said he didn’t want to keep fighting and that since Charles’s cancer diagnosis in 2024, he does “not know how much longer my father has”.