Strictly come Dancing Contestant Thomas Skinner Apologizes for Incident with Reporter
London, UK – Strictly Come dancing contestant Thomas Skinner has apologized for an incident involving a reporter, where he grabbed their phone. The incident, which occurred prior to the showS launch later this month, has ignited a public debate about the appropriateness of his casting and prompted a defense from the BBC’s Director-General, Tim Davie.
The controversy initially stemmed from social media posts showing Skinner with U.S. Senator JD Vance, leading to accusations of right-wing political alignment. Skinner addressed these claims in an interview with the Daily Mail last month, stating, “I’m not right-wing. People are like sheep and just started saying it because I got invited to go to BBQ with JD Vance and I posted a picture with him.” He further added, “Who is gonna turn down an possibility to meet the second most powerful man in the world?”
The incident with the reporter added fuel to the fire, raising questions about Skinner’s conduct and judgment. While details of the incident remain limited, the resulting backlash prompted a response from the BBC.
Appearing before the House of Commons culture, media and sport select committee on Tuesday, BBC Director-General Tim Davie defended the decision to include Skinner in the Strictly Come Dancing lineup. He clarified that the casting decision was made by the production team, who where seeking contestants “who want to do strictly, and those people they thought would be interesting to the audience.”
Davie emphasized the BBC’s standards, stating, “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.” He acknowledged, however, that he wasn’t personally an “expert on the individual, per se,” but maintained that Skinner’s views, as far as the BBC was aware, did not fall into unacceptable categories.
Skinner’s apology comes as the highly anticipated season of Strictly come Dancing approaches its premiere. The incident underscores the increased scrutiny faced by public figures, particularly in the age of social media, and the challenges broadcasters face in balancing entertainment value with public expectations.
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