Thomas Skinner, a contestant on the 2025 series of Strictly Come Dancing, left a roundtable press conference at Elstree Studios before completing the full circuit of interviews, producers and journalists said.
Skinner had been speaking to a group of journalists alongside fellow contestant Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink when he departed the session, leaving remaining reporters, including BBC News, without an opportunity to ask questions. The pair were taking part in a series of short, rotating interviews organised in a speed-dating style ahead of the show's launch later this month. It was not immediately clear why Skinner exited the event early, and representatives for Skinner and Strictly Come Dancing were contacted for comment.
One journalist who had been at the table said Skinner had been answering questions and was "fine" when asked, in a light-hearted manner, whether US Vice-President JD Vance would come to watch him; Skinner reportedly joked that he thought the vice-president had "more pressing things to do." After Skinner's departure, Hasselbaink continued with interviews and was later interviewed solo.
Skinner first became known to television audiences in 2019 as a contestant on The Apprentice and has since appeared on shows including 8 Out of 10 Cats, The Wheel, Michael McIntyre's Big Show, Good Morning Britain, Faking It and Celebrity MasterChef. He runs several small businesses, is a regular on TalkSport Radio and has built a large social media following through motivational videos. On Monday, Skinner posted on X that he had had the "best day" following his first full day of rehearsals for Strictly.
The contestant has become a polarising figure on social media. Some posts, including images of him meeting JD Vance and of him wearing a Make America Great Again cap, have drawn criticism, while many supporters praise his promotion of what he describes as "traditional, hard-working, family values," his patriotism and his campaigning on issues such as knife crime. In response to recent criticism, 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?"
The BBC's director-general, Tim Davie, defended the corporation's decision to include Skinner on Strictly when speaking to MPs from the Culture, Media and Sport Committee earlier this week. Davie said the selection of contestants was made by the show's production team, adding: "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."
The BBC also announced this week that premium-rate phone voting on Strictly would end, with viewers encouraged to cast their votes online only.
Organisers have said the roundtable sessions are intended to give journalists a short window to speak with multiple celebrities, but the early exit meant some reporters were unable to question Skinner. Journalists present described the exchange as brief and without incident prior to his departure. The broadcaster and representatives for the show have not provided further details about the reason for Skinner's early exit from the press event.