THOMAS Skinner will remain on Strictly Come Dancing following late night crisis talks with the BBC.
The Apprentice contestant stormed out of a press conference yesterday after snatching a female journalist’s phone.
3
3
Following the shocking incident, Strictly chiefs held talks about whether Thomas, 34, would be able to continue in the dancing competition.
A source said: “Tom clearly felt stressed and wasn’t coping with the press conference.
“He acted in a very strange manner and grabbed a phone, which isn’t like him.
“After much discussion about whether he would be able to cope with the pressure of the series, it was decided that Tom was fine to stay on.
“It’s a very embarrassing incident for him and he’s made it clear he just wants to crack on.
“The BBC are backing him.”
A source added: “Thomas will film the launch show later on today.
“After the incident yesterday he returned to rehearsals too. He is totally committed to Strictly.”
It was the first time in the show’s history that a Strictly star has not completed the press conference – which sees the contestants talking about their excitement about the show starting.
Thomas was paired with footballer Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink for the interviews but left him when he stormed out of the room.
BBC staffers said Thomas, who appeared on The Apprentice in 2019, had to take a family call.
But those who witnessed the outburst said they were gobsmacked by his antics.
An insider said: “It was incredibly strange and no one could quite work out what was happening.
“He just seemed to take exception to something and leave.
“BBC staff said he’d had to take a family call but that didn’t explain why he’d chosen to grab a member of the press’s recording device before exiting.
“There were a lot of bewildered looks on the faces of those present with everyone frantically wondering what had unfolded.”
The incident came as BBC Director General Tim Davie defended the decision to sign Thomas to the show as he was quizzed by MPs from the Culture, Media and Sport committee.
When asked about the signing, Mr 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.
“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.”
Strictly Come Dance 2025 lineup
Strictly Come Dancing news and the latest line up
3
