By Alex Hickey,Liam de Brun

Copyright walesonline

Strictly Come Dancing’s Thomas Skinner has declared that he ‘won’t be cancelled’ just hours after his first appearance on the BBC show. The season’s fans eagerly tuned in on Saturday night (20 September) as Strictly returned with a pre-recorded launch programme. Towards the end of the evening, it was announced that former Apprentice star Thomas had been paired with popular dancer Amy Dowden. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter Amy is making her comeback to the show after having to withdraw last year when she was partnered with JLS’ JB Gill due to a foot injury. The 35 year old previously underwent treatment for breast cancer and publicly shared her diagnosis after receiving the news in May 2023, reports the Manchester Evening News . After undergoing a single mastectomy and chemotherapy treatment, Amy announced she had ‘no evidence of disease’ following tests and later returned for Strictly’s 20th-anniversary series before sustaining an injury. Before Thomas’ Strictly debut, he abruptly left an interview ahead of the show and later confessed to having a ‘fling’, despite being married to his wife Sinead. Thomas, who has three children with his wife, said in a video interview with the Sun on Sunday: “I’m just so lucky that she forgave me. When I told my wife, I fully understood if she were to never speak to me again. “It just shows you that 10 minutes can just ruin your whole life”. He continued: “I had a fling, I suppose, it was nothing more than that, it was the one time, it was a mistake, then I woke up feeling absolutely terrible about it.” On Sunday morning (September 21), the 34 year old took to X, formerly known as Twitter , to respond to critics of his upcoming appearance on Strictly. He posted: “Life ain’t easy. I’ve been kicked down and called every name under the sun recently and probably some of it I deserve, as yes I ain’t always right. But since I got invited to have a barbecue with JD Vance… its gone crazy. “Certain people are doing everything they can to ruin me. Mainly Faceless accounts givin it large and abusing me, hypocrites making everything political. Now I see people are fumin that I’m on Strictly…. and the funny thing is that the majority of them got ‘be kind’ wrote in their bios. You couldn’t make it up. “Let me tell you this. I won’t be cancelled. I ain’t gonna kill myself like some of you want. I’m still here. I’m still standin. Trust me when I say this; I am stronger than people think. Every insult, every lie, every attack….it don’t break me, it builds me stronger.” Thomas went on: “I built what I got from nothing. I slept on a pull-out bed on the floor for years cus I never had a bedroom. Weirdos write rubbish on Wikipedia about my upbringing that ain’t true, but they can’t take away what I’ve built with graft and fight. They call me a grifter, but all I do is work. “Day in, day out, graft. And yes, all the political parties have come knockin wantin me to work with them from both the left and right. But I ain’t got no interest in that. I’m not for them. I’m for the people. For the man or woman on the street who just wants to do better in life. For the parent workin two jobs to keep the lights on. I get it. I live it. I know the struggles of life. “I’m in a fight I can’t win, but I don’t give up. I know what it’s like to not have the rent money at the end of the month. I’ve lived it. That’s why I’ll always stand shoulder to shoulder with the people who graft and struggle but never stop pushin forward. I’m not a millionaire, if I was I wouldn’t be out in my van doing bed deliveries in between training for strictly. I wouldn’t still be organising my market stall. “. Admitting that he had ‘made mistakes’, Thomas revealed that he and his wife have ‘moved on from’ his infidelity and she ‘forgave’ him. “She forgave me. We are stronger now; yet my poor wife has to relive it because my past has been dug up to sell stories online. I am the news at the moment. Yes I got arrested several times when I was younger. Yes I was always in trouble. But I’ve turned my life around. Yes I went to a private school cos I worked my arse off for a scholarship and my parents sacrificed everything. “I was brilliant at sports, but I got expelled and ruined my opportunity. Yes I’m dyslexic an my spelling is bad. Yes I’m outspoken. But anyone who says they ain’t made mistakes is a liar. I don’t hide mine. I own them. They made me the man I am today. “I’ve buried mates. I’ve got friends doin life in jail. I’ve made bad choices. But I ain’t scared of nothin. My wife is my rock. My family is my world. I love my kids more than life itself. That love keeps me standin tall when the world tries to drag me down,” he said. Thomas added: “And I know so many are strugglin right now. That’s why I keep goin. Not just for me, but for you. For every person who needs to hear this: believe in yourself. You are ten times stronger than you even know. “These last few weeks for me and my family have been horrific. Journos knockin on doors. Been front page of nearly every national newspaper. But it only makes us stronger. You start a war with me….. you don’t win. You start a war with my family and friends…the whole lot of us rise together. “This country is beautiful. Full of beautiful people. I love it with all my heart. It’s built on graft, pride, community and family. It’s built on good people from all walks of life. Not people that gave up!”. Wrapping up his message, Thomas urged followers not to waste energy on ‘faceless cowards’ and implored them not to ‘give up’ or ‘let hypocrites win’. “Keep pushing. If I can keep goin, so can you. We are strong. We are proud. We never give up. Ever. Thank you for all the love and support I’ve been getting! It means the world to me. Love to you all. Bosh,” he declared.