By Olivia Wheeler

Copyright walesonline

A former Strictly Come Dancing pro has shared his thoughts on Thomas Skinner being paired with professional dancer Amy Dowden . Thomas , 34, who gained fame from his stint on The Apprentice in 2019, was matched with Welsh dance maestro Amy , 35, on Saturday’s launch show, where celebs find out their professional partners. From the get-go of the new series, several viewers sensed a potentially strained working relationship between the two, right after their partnership was announced. Some viewers voiced their opinions on X, suggesting that Amy deserved a ‘better partner’, while others speculated that her 2025 Strictly Come Dancing journey might be cut short due to her pairing with Thomas, following revelations about his affair with Essex beautician Amy-Lucy O’Rourke. Just last week, the reality TV star confessed to his infidelity, admitting he had been unfaithful with Amy-Lucy just weeks after marrying his wife Sinead. In light of the controversy and fan predictions, former Strictly Come Dancing pro James Jordan has shared his thoughts on Thomas and Amy’s pairing. James, 47, worked as a professional dancer on Strictly from 2006 to 2013, teaming up with various celebrities including Alex Jones, Gabby Logan, Denise Van Outen and Vanessa Feltz. Talking exclusively on behalf of Freebets.com where he works as the resident entertainment betting expert, James said: “Would I have put those two together? I’m not sure. Amy is super sweet — lovely girl — and you’ve paired her with someone people are saying is ‘a bit right-wing’ or ‘propaganda.’ “To me he seems really funny; maybe they’ll complement each other—I could be wrong. When you’ve got someone like that, I personally want a partner who pushes them, laughs with them, is on the same wavelength.” 2025 contestant Thomas, once known for his cheeky charm on reality TV, has since built an entirely different kind of profile with his no-nonsense social media videos, which include everything from business tips, political rants, and hot takes on everyday life. Earlier this year, his career took a surreal turn when he struck up a friendship with US Vice President JD Vance, Donald Trump’s running mate. Yet the BBC’s choice to hand Thomas a coveted prime-time dancing spot has ruffled feathers among certain Strictly fans, particularly after Thomas caused a stir at a Strictly press conference by grabbing a reporter’s mobile phone before storming out of the interviews . Discussing the BBC’s choice to feature Thomas on the programme, James previously remarked: “I personally don’t think there’s anything wrong with being outspoken and I believe everyone is entitled to their opinion. Everyone should have a voice. “I say fair play to BBC for having someone like that on there just for a balance really more than anything. You can’t always go the left, the left, the left. BBC are very left, aren’t they? So actually it’s quite nice that they’ve put someone on there to maybe balance it out.” James continued: “I think he’s going to be a good laugh. He seems like a proper lad. I think maybe people have got a misconception of what he’s like. Let’s give him a chance. Let’s give the guy a chance. I think it’s very easy to judge people before you actually know who they are just because of their views or opinions. “You know, I’ve got many friends that I don’t necessarily agree with their views and opinions. It doesn’t mean that they’re not nice people and I still can’t get along with them. I think it’s a good thing that he’s on the show.” Strictly Come Dancing starts this Saturday at 6:40pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.