Bosh-ed it: Inside Thomas Skinner’s chaotic beef with the BBC as he reportedly wants to sue

It’s been a wild few months for Thomas Skinner. Despite being the first celebrity booted off Strictly Come Dancing 2025, Tom hasn’t gone quietly. In fact, he’s reportedly trading the ballroom for the courtroom and suing the BBC.

From “traumatising” dance moves to secret meetings with US Vice Presidents, here is a complete timeline of the beef that led to Thomas Skinner taking legal action.

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The casting controversy and the ‘MAGA’ connection

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Even before he stepped on the dancefloor, Tom’s casting was rubbing people the wrong way. The 34-year-old businessman is known for his outspoken right-wing views, which some felt didn’t quite gel with Strictly’s “sparkly and safe” brand.

The drama intensified when Tom posted photos of himself in a MAGA cap, and shared pictures of a meeting with US Vice President JD Vance over the summer. He also stated it is “not far-right” to be “flying your flag and loving your country”, expressing concerns that “it ain’t safe out there anymore” in London, describing the capital as “hostile” and “tense”.

While some praised him for “standing up for family values”, others labeled him a “divisive” choice for the family show, and the BBC received a lot of backlash.

The ‘cheating’ bombshell

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Just weeks before the series kicked off, Tom dropped a massive bombshell: He confessed to The Sun to cheating on his wife Sinead, just after their wedding. He described it as a “moment of madness” and a “two-week fling”, but the timing couldn’t have been worse for the BBC.

Reports suggest bosses were already struggling to “rein in” their most controversial signing, and the flurry of negative headlines about his personal life reportedly left producers “frustrated”.

The phone-snatching incident

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The tension reached a boiling point during a pre-series press event in September. Tom reportedly stormed out of interviews and snatched a journalist’s phone after spotting a message on their screen regarding a “personal story” from his past. He later apologised on Instagram, saying he was “caught off guard”, but the damage was done.

The ‘rigged’ vote and the lawsuit

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The meat of the beef comes down to Tom’s exit. Despite scoring a dismal 29 out of 80 across two shows with partner Amy Dowden, Tom is reportedly “adamant” that he shouldn’t have been in the bottom two.

According to reports, Tom is suing the BBC because he believes he can prove he received a larger share of the public vote than the show let on. A source told The Sun: “Thomas is adamant he got a larger share of the public vote and believes he has the evidence to prove it. 

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“He is determined to see it through, but there’s no way the BBC will take this sensational claim lying down. They’ll robustly defend any kinds of claims that the voting was rigged or fixed. He’s convinced the BBC was hell-bent on getting him out as soon as possible, no matter how many of his fans got behind him.” 

The source even compared the situation to Donald Trump’s ongoing legal battles with the corporation, suggesting Tom is following in the President’s footsteps to challenge the broadcaster.

Unsurprisingly, Tom has pulled out of appearing in this Saturday’s Strictly finale. While he’s blamed “scheduling conflicts”, insiders suggest he has no interest in returning to the ballroom after feeling “targeted” by the edit.

However, he will still be appearing in the Celebrity Apprentice Specials this Christmas. Apparently, suing the broadcaster doesn’t mean you can’t stop by for a festive task with Lord Sugar.