By Lydia Spencer-Elliott

Copyright independent

Strictly Come Dancing contestant Thomas Skinner has walked out of the BBC dance competition’s first press event ahead of the show’s launch later this month.

The former Apprentice star, 34, left the event at Elstree Studios after speaking to journalists who were interviewing him alongside former Chelsea footballer Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.

Skinner and his fellow Strictly contestants were taking part in roundtable interviews, where celebrities speak to journalists for a few minutes at a time before swapping tables with other stars.

The social media star reportedly objected to being taped and grabbed a reporter’s phone before walking out of the interview, per Mail Online.

The Independent has contacted Skinner and Strictly Come Dancing’s representatives for comment.

Skinner, who is now a social media star, has drawn strong criticism in recent weeks for X (Twitter) posts saying it is “not far-right” to be “flying your flag and loving your country”, and complaining “it ain’t safe out there any more” in London, saying the city is “hostile” and “tense”.

Others have taken issue with Skinner socialising with US vice-president JD Vance during his visit to the Cotswolds this summer, during which time he was pictured wearing a Maga cap.

Earlier this week, BBC director general Tim Davie defended the decision to cast Skinner in the forthcoming Strictly Come Dancing series.

Speaking to MPs from the Culture, Media and Sport committee, Mr Davie said: “That was not my decision, that was the production team looking for those people … who want to do Strictly, and those people they thought would be interesting to the audience.”

The 58-year-old added: “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.”

Skinner appeared on the fifteenth series of The Apprentice in 2019 and has since gained a prominent following on social media.

The 34-year-old, who previously worked on market stalls, now runs several businesses, such as a gym and a mattress company. In 2023, he released the self-help book Graft: How to Smash Life and in 2024, presented The Men’s Room mental health podcast with former footballer Neil Ruddock.

Back in August, The Independent’s Rachel McGrath said in the wake of Skinner’s casting: “Strictly is now waltzing into another series with a controversy on its hands. And fans might be left wondering, whatever happened to the wholesome Saturday night show that was all about the dancing?”

Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One on Saturday 20 September.