Strictly’s Thomas Skinner leaves press event early

Strictly Come Dancing contestant Thomas Skinner has walked out of a press conference early ahead of the show’s launch later this month.

The former Apprentice star and social media personality left the Elstree Studios event after talking to a group of journalists who were interviewing him alongside fellow 2025 contestant, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbank.

Remaining journalists waiting to interview Skinner, including BBC News, did not get a chance to speak to the entrepreneur.

Skinner has become a somewhat divisive figure – his motivational videos have attracted hundreds of thousands of followers since he left the Apprentice, but he has also attracted criticism in recent months.

Some have taken issue with Skinner’s recent social media posts including one with a photo of himself meeting US Vice President JD Vance, and another of him wearing a Make America Great again cap.

But many of his fans praise Skinner for what he describes as “standing up for traditional, hard-working, family values”, his patriotism, and campaigning on issues such as knife crime.

Skinner and other Strictly contestants were taking part in a series of roundtable interviews, where celebrities meet with groups journalists for a few minutes at a time, in a style similar to speed-dating, to take questions.

It’s unclear why Skinner made a quick exit before the session had ended, when he had not yet completed the full press circuit.

Representatives for Skinner and Strictly Come Dancing have been contacted for comment.

On Monday, Skinner took to X to had the “best day” after his first full day of rehearsals.

One of the journalists at the table Skinner left told the BBC that the businessman had been fine when a fellow journalist asked him if JD Vance would be coming to watch him, jokingly responding that he thought the Vice President had more pressing things to do.

All the contestants were interviewed in pairs or threes, with the exception of former Chelsea footballer Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, who was interviewed solo once Skinner had departed.

Skinner first hit TV screens on The Apprentice in 2019, and has since appeared on shows including 8 Out of 10 Cats, The Wheel, Michael McIntyre’s Big Show, Good Morning Britain and Faking It, as well as Celebrity Masterchef.

He is also known for his social media videos which encourage people to think positively, runs a number of small businesses, including a gym, and is a regular on TalkSport Radio.

In response to criticism from some quarters, Skinner told The Daily Mail last month: “I’m not right wing.

“People are like sheep and just started saying it because I got invited to go to BBQ with JD Vance and I posted a picture with him.

“Who is gonna turn down an opportunity to meet the second most powerful man in the world?”

Earlier on Tuesday, BBC director-general Tim Davie defended the decision to cast former Skinner in Strictly, which starts later this month.

Speaking to MPs from the Culture, Media and Sport committee, Davie said: “That was not my decision, that was the production team looking for those people … who want to do Strictly, and those people they thought would be interesting to the audience.”

Davie added: “Clearly, we wouldn’t take anyone whose views are just beyond the pale, or we would see as completely unacceptable or not suitable, racist views, all those things, we wouldn’t accept them.

“But that’s not the case here, from what I know, I’m not an expert on the individual, per se.”

Earlier this week, the BBC announced premium-rate phone voting on Strictly would end, with viewers invited only to cast their votes for contestants online.