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<\/div>\nGet the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email<\/h3>\nGet the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter <\/h3>\nGet the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter <\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nB<\/span>osh. If Strictly bosses were hoping for a smoother ride after last year\u2019s controversy-hit series, it appears they\u2019re already in trouble. BBC One\u2019s shiny floor show will be back in a matter of weeks and the line-up announcement <\/a>has naturally sparked the usual debate over the calibre of stars set to appear. Love Island\u2019s<\/a> Dani Dyer<\/a> and trailblazing model Ellie Goldstein <\/a>may be among the highlights, but this year, there\u2019s one booking that\u2019s already dominating conversation: Thomas Skinner<\/a>. <\/p>\nIf you don\u2019t know who he is then congratulations for quitting Twitter (or X, depending on when you pulled the plug), and ditching The Apprentice<\/a> before the show became a monotonous farce. Skinner first strode onto our screens in the 2019 series, and by the time he was fired by Lord Sugar in week nine, he\u2019d proved to be reality TV gold with his confident, cheeky persona and his pathological tendency to say \u201cbosh\u201d after every minor achievement.<\/p>\nAfterwards, he popped up on TV a few more times with bookings including 8 Out of 10 Cats and Celebrity MasterChef, while also returning to family life and his businesses \u2013 albeit with a significantly bigger social media following. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s on X, Instagram and TikTok that Skinner has really made a name for himself in recent years, at first by going viral with motivational morning messages, often filmed in his much-loved Dino\u2019s Caf\u00e9 in east London as he eats a steak pie and chips for breakfast. <\/p>\n
But it\u2019s social media that has also proven, critics would argue, to be his undoing. Well, X to be specific. As Elon Musk\u2019s reign has brought far-right content and conspiracy theories thundering onto everyone\u2019s timelines, Skinner\u2019s content has taken a political turn. He\u2019s praised Donald Trump as \u201cbrilliant\u201d, declared London unsafe and weighed in on migrant hotels. Savvy as ever, he hit monetise on his X account in July and has said he\u2019s donating any money made to a local children\u2019s charity. <\/p>\n
To his fans, Skinner is a straight-talking, hard-grafting Cockney geezer; an everyman with the gift of the gab; a patriot who isn\u2019t happy with the way his country is being run. To his critics, he\u2019s a populist activist with a criminal conviction; a privately educated salesman masquerading as a regular joe; a potential Reform candidate who spouts misinformation with the help of Chat GPT.<\/p>\n
\n![\"Thomas](\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2025\/08\/14\/9\/35\/Strictly-Come-Dancing-2025-x6wbjewm.jpeg\")
<\/div>\nThomas Skinner will compete on \u2018Strictly\u2019 2025 (BBC)<\/span><\/div>\nIn a twist that was unexpected \u2013 but nowhere near as absurd as it would have been in the pre-MAGA era \u2013 Skinner\u2019s posts, and his defiance in the face of a backlash, ultimately culminated in him receiving support online from US vice president JD Vance<\/a>. Skinner then created even more headlines when he met up with the Vance family, who are holidaying in the UK, earlier this week.<\/p>\nJust days later, he was confirmed as a contestant for Strictly. And while the bookers for many shows would be delighted to sign someone who is already proving newsworthy and controversial, it\u2019s a decidedly un-Strictly move. <\/p>\n
ITV has sent many divisive characters into the I\u2019m a Celebrity jungle (most recently Nigel Farage), and Celebrity Big Brother bosses never missed the opportunity to book an outspoken D-lister. But Strictly? The show\u2019s policy has usually leant more towards \u201cthe less controversial, the better\u201d. For years, bosses even allegedly banned reality stars, and on the rare occasion one has made it into the ballroom, mentions of their Love Island or Towie pasts have been kept to a minimum. It\u2019s worth noting that this year, it\u2019s Skinner and three others who found their fame on reality TV: Dyer, Geordie Shore\u2019s Vicky Pattison and RuPaul\u2019s Drag Race UK contestant La Voix. <\/p>\n
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Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter <\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nB<\/span>osh. If Strictly bosses were hoping for a smoother ride after last year\u2019s controversy-hit series, it appears they\u2019re already in trouble. BBC One\u2019s shiny floor show will be back in a matter of weeks and the line-up announcement <\/a>has naturally sparked the usual debate over the calibre of stars set to appear. Love Island\u2019s<\/a> Dani Dyer<\/a> and trailblazing model Ellie Goldstein <\/a>may be among the highlights, but this year, there\u2019s one booking that\u2019s already dominating conversation: Thomas Skinner<\/a>. <\/p>\nIf you don\u2019t know who he is then congratulations for quitting Twitter (or X, depending on when you pulled the plug), and ditching The Apprentice<\/a> before the show became a monotonous farce. Skinner first strode onto our screens in the 2019 series, and by the time he was fired by Lord Sugar in week nine, he\u2019d proved to be reality TV gold with his confident, cheeky persona and his pathological tendency to say \u201cbosh\u201d after every minor achievement.<\/p>\nAfterwards, he popped up on TV a few more times with bookings including 8 Out of 10 Cats and Celebrity MasterChef, while also returning to family life and his businesses \u2013 albeit with a significantly bigger social media following. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s on X, Instagram and TikTok that Skinner has really made a name for himself in recent years, at first by going viral with motivational morning messages, often filmed in his much-loved Dino\u2019s Caf\u00e9 in east London as he eats a steak pie and chips for breakfast. <\/p>\n
But it\u2019s social media that has also proven, critics would argue, to be his undoing. Well, X to be specific. As Elon Musk\u2019s reign has brought far-right content and conspiracy theories thundering onto everyone\u2019s timelines, Skinner\u2019s content has taken a political turn. He\u2019s praised Donald Trump as \u201cbrilliant\u201d, declared London unsafe and weighed in on migrant hotels. Savvy as ever, he hit monetise on his X account in July and has said he\u2019s donating any money made to a local children\u2019s charity. <\/p>\n
To his fans, Skinner is a straight-talking, hard-grafting Cockney geezer; an everyman with the gift of the gab; a patriot who isn\u2019t happy with the way his country is being run. To his critics, he\u2019s a populist activist with a criminal conviction; a privately educated salesman masquerading as a regular joe; a potential Reform candidate who spouts misinformation with the help of Chat GPT.<\/p>\n
\n<\/div>\nThomas Skinner will compete on \u2018Strictly\u2019 2025 (BBC)<\/span><\/div>\nIn a twist that was unexpected \u2013 but nowhere near as absurd as it would have been in the pre-MAGA era \u2013 Skinner\u2019s posts, and his defiance in the face of a backlash, ultimately culminated in him receiving support online from US vice president JD Vance<\/a>. Skinner then created even more headlines when he met up with the Vance family, who are holidaying in the UK, earlier this week.<\/p>\nJust days later, he was confirmed as a contestant for Strictly. And while the bookers for many shows would be delighted to sign someone who is already proving newsworthy and controversial, it\u2019s a decidedly un-Strictly move. <\/p>\n
ITV has sent many divisive characters into the I\u2019m a Celebrity jungle (most recently Nigel Farage), and Celebrity Big Brother bosses never missed the opportunity to book an outspoken D-lister. But Strictly? The show\u2019s policy has usually leant more towards \u201cthe less controversial, the better\u201d. For years, bosses even allegedly banned reality stars, and on the rare occasion one has made it into the ballroom, mentions of their Love Island or Towie pasts have been kept to a minimum. It\u2019s worth noting that this year, it\u2019s Skinner and three others who found their fame on reality TV: Dyer, Geordie Shore\u2019s Vicky Pattison and RuPaul\u2019s Drag Race UK contestant La Voix. <\/p>\n
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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nB<\/span>osh. If Strictly bosses were hoping for a smoother ride after last year\u2019s controversy-hit series, it appears they\u2019re already in trouble. BBC One\u2019s shiny floor show will be back in a matter of weeks and the line-up announcement <\/a>has naturally sparked the usual debate over the calibre of stars set to appear. Love Island\u2019s<\/a> Dani Dyer<\/a> and trailblazing model Ellie Goldstein <\/a>may be among the highlights, but this year, there\u2019s one booking that\u2019s already dominating conversation: Thomas Skinner<\/a>. <\/p>\n If you don\u2019t know who he is then congratulations for quitting Twitter (or X, depending on when you pulled the plug), and ditching The Apprentice<\/a> before the show became a monotonous farce. Skinner first strode onto our screens in the 2019 series, and by the time he was fired by Lord Sugar in week nine, he\u2019d proved to be reality TV gold with his confident, cheeky persona and his pathological tendency to say \u201cbosh\u201d after every minor achievement.<\/p>\n Afterwards, he popped up on TV a few more times with bookings including 8 Out of 10 Cats and Celebrity MasterChef, while also returning to family life and his businesses \u2013 albeit with a significantly bigger social media following. <\/p>\n It\u2019s on X, Instagram and TikTok that Skinner has really made a name for himself in recent years, at first by going viral with motivational morning messages, often filmed in his much-loved Dino\u2019s Caf\u00e9 in east London as he eats a steak pie and chips for breakfast. <\/p>\n But it\u2019s social media that has also proven, critics would argue, to be his undoing. Well, X to be specific. As Elon Musk\u2019s reign has brought far-right content and conspiracy theories thundering onto everyone\u2019s timelines, Skinner\u2019s content has taken a political turn. He\u2019s praised Donald Trump as \u201cbrilliant\u201d, declared London unsafe and weighed in on migrant hotels. Savvy as ever, he hit monetise on his X account in July and has said he\u2019s donating any money made to a local children\u2019s charity. <\/p>\n To his fans, Skinner is a straight-talking, hard-grafting Cockney geezer; an everyman with the gift of the gab; a patriot who isn\u2019t happy with the way his country is being run. To his critics, he\u2019s a populist activist with a criminal conviction; a privately educated salesman masquerading as a regular joe; a potential Reform candidate who spouts misinformation with the help of Chat GPT.<\/p>\n Thomas Skinner will compete on \u2018Strictly\u2019 2025 (BBC)<\/span><\/div>\n In a twist that was unexpected \u2013 but nowhere near as absurd as it would have been in the pre-MAGA era \u2013 Skinner\u2019s posts, and his defiance in the face of a backlash, ultimately culminated in him receiving support online from US vice president JD Vance<\/a>. Skinner then created even more headlines when he met up with the Vance family, who are holidaying in the UK, earlier this week.<\/p>\n Just days later, he was confirmed as a contestant for Strictly. And while the bookers for many shows would be delighted to sign someone who is already proving newsworthy and controversial, it\u2019s a decidedly un-Strictly move. <\/p>\n ITV has sent many divisive characters into the I\u2019m a Celebrity jungle (most recently Nigel Farage), and Celebrity Big Brother bosses never missed the opportunity to book an outspoken D-lister. But Strictly? The show\u2019s policy has usually leant more towards \u201cthe less controversial, the better\u201d. For years, bosses even allegedly banned reality stars, and on the rare occasion one has made it into the ballroom, mentions of their Love Island or Towie pasts have been kept to a minimum. It\u2019s worth noting that this year, it\u2019s Skinner and three others who found their fame on reality TV: Dyer, Geordie Shore\u2019s Vicky Pattison and RuPaul\u2019s Drag Race UK contestant La Voix. <\/p>\n Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day<\/p>\n New subscribers only. \u00a38.99\/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Try for free<\/a><\/div>\n ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day<\/p>\n New subscribers only. \u00a38.99\/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n