STRICTLY star Thomas Skinner revealed he was paid £2k to appear on BBC’s Question Time last night.
The former Apprentice star, 35, joined host Fiona Bruce on the panel as the show visited Reform MP Nigel Farage‘s constituency Clacton-on-Sea in Essex.
Also on the panel was Justice Minister Jake Richards, Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat and Liberal Democrat’s Layla Moran.
TV personality Thomas has been open about his political views and last night hit out at Labour for failing working class people, especially those with small businesses.
Following his appearance, Thomas explained his main reason for taking part on the show was for the pay cheque.
Thomas took to his X account and said: “I’m not there representing any party. I’m there because it pays £2,000 and I like watching Question Time…. I’ve been asked probably 9 or 10 times to attend over the last 4 or 5 years. So I decided to give it a go. And I really enjoyed it.”
A member of the audience kicked things off by asking: “Why should we believe that things will get better.”
Thomas was keen to get his point across as he challenged the MPs.
He said: “We all know the cost of living is a joke at the minute, people are struggling.
People, at the end of the week, should be able to enjoy a pint of beer, take their kids to the football, but they can’t because their pennies aren’t going as far.”
He continued: “Labour have been smacking small businesses left, right, and centre, and it isn’t fair.
“People forget that small businesses are the backbone of this economy; without small businesses, we haven’t got a country.
“Their tax pays for the potholes that we were talking about earlier, and the NHS.
“Everything goes through small businesses, and I think we need to give them more support.
“Then you’ll see more jobs open up, you’ll see more people [shopping] because when it comes to making more money, they can employ them, they can fund people better.”
Fiona then asked him: “Do you think any of the parties have an answer for that?” to which he replied: “I don’t think they do at the moment.
“Nigel Farage came out recently and said he’d support small businesses, and I appreciate that, but I think something needs to be done now.”
He then faced the Labour MP and added: “You lot are in charge, do something about it.
“Stop talking about it, do it.”
But Thomas’ appearance attracted some negative attention.
One wrote: “Never miss out on the chance to get paid £2,000 for making a complete clown of yourself mate, I’m sure they paid the court jesters a similar amount in the old day, the ‘and’ part of your statement is lost in the grift.”
A second posted: “So it’s just part of the grift then? Good to know. We all know why you were invited onto Question Time fella, and it’s nothing to do with you selling mattresses, pictures of big breakfasts, being on The Apprentice years ago, nor having a strop when you were voted off Strictly.”
A third said: “You fit right in with Reform don’t you? Dishing up complete bulls***.”
A fourth commented: “You’re a symptom of everything that’s wrong with the UK. A petty criminal who thinks he’s something. You’re a rat .
