By Milo Pope

Copyright metro

Thomas Skinner is receiving extra security after allegedly receiving death threats (Picture: BBC)

Strictly Come Dancing’s Thomas Skinner is being protected by the former bodyguard of Tom Holland after receiving death threats.

The 34-year-old Essex businessman, who found fame after appearing on The Apprentice, has been at the centre of a media storm in recent weeks.

Thomas admitted to having an affair just a few weeks after getting married after he walked out of a BBC press event for the dancing show after picking up a journalist’s phone.

Earlier this week it was also reported that Thomas had allegedly not paid back a £50,000 taxpayer loan provided during Covid in 2020, despite bragging about businesses’ success.

Now, it has been revealed that former Royal Marine Burly Daniel Gilbert – who was hired to protect actor Spider-Man star Tom – is providing security for Thomas amid the backlash.

Pictures obtained by The Sun showed Skinner with Burly while at Kempton Park Racecourse with his pro Strictly partner Amy Downden as the pair filmed a clip for the dance show.

The former Apprentice star has been paired with Amy Dowden in Strictly (Picture: BBC)

Burly Daniel Gilbert, right, pictured with Tom Holland at a golf competition (Picture: Getty)

Burly was seen with the Spiderman actor, 29, at the BMW Golf Championship in Surrey last year.

He has also previously worked on Love Island All stars in South Africa with presenter Maya Jama.

An insider told Daily Mail: ‘He’s one of the best in the industry. He’s trained to the best standard and nothing gets past him. Thomas is in safe hands.’

Earlier this week, Thomas was called out for ‘fabricating’ a death threat after he deleted his post sharing one.

In his since-deleted post on X, he shared a supposed screenshot from an online troll saying he wants to ‘kill’ him and come for him in his sleep.

The message added: ‘Skinner, you’re a disgrace. Strictly doesn’t want you, the country doesn’t want you. Do everyone a favour and die before the live show next week’.

‘Lloyd must be nice, probably scared of his own shadow in real life, the little melt! Bosh,’ he said in his caption at the time.

One X user salman_1562 shared: ‘This is exactly how [Thomas Skinner] sounded in those text messages he cheated with his girlfriend. He’s now deleted the post after being accused of sending himself the DM.’

His screenshot also didn’t include any handle name or identifying features beyond the text message blocks.

Thomas’s partnership with Amy has been controversial with fans (Picture: BBC/Ray Burmiston)

Thomas has been at the centre of controversy in recent weeks (Picture: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

Given the level of the backlash he’s facing, the reality star recently took to social media to rant about his treatment.

He wrote online: ‘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.

‘Certain people are doing everything they can to ruin me. Mainly Faceless accounts giving it large and abusing me, hypocrites making everything political.

‘Now I see people are fuming 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.’

He shared that he planned to carry on despite everyone telling him to ‘kill [him]self’, saying people’s words ‘don’t break me, they build me stronger’.

And even revealed that while political parties across the left and right have tried to recruit him, he is ‘for the man or woman on the street who just wants to do better in life’.

Metro has contacted Thomas Skinner and BBC for comment.

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