Thomas Skinner’s Strictly debut dubbed ‘worst ever’ by baffled fans

‘That was the unsexiest paso doble I’ve ever seen,’ tweeted one audience member, amid controversy that has engulfed the ‘Apprentice’ star

Strictly Come Dancing fans have blasted the first dance by controversial Apprentice star Thomas Skinner, dubbing it everything from “stiff” to “cringe”.

During tonight’s episode, which saw celebrities dancing with their partners for the first time, Skinner danced the paso doble with partner Amy Dowden. It received a total of 12 points from the judges, and just two from head judge Craig Revel-Horwood.

In clips from the pair’s training sessions, Dowden was seen remarking that she had her work cut out for her, particularly when it came to Skinner’s posture.

For the paso doble, Dowden also said that Skinner had to “look serious” in the face, which resulted in the Apprentice contestant bearing a slightly bizarre expression during the dance itself.

Presenter Tess Daly seemed to be a fan at least, telling Skinner he was “selling that paso-face all the way through!”

Thomas Skinner and Amy Dowden during their dance (BBC)

On X, however, Strictly fans criticised the performance.

“Tom Skinner has to be one of the worst dancers I've seen on Strictly, he walked around the floor and let Amy do her thing,” tweeted one person. “Abysmal.”

Another wrote: “Watching Tom Skinner on Strictly has made me cringe so bad.”

“Tom u are stiff as a board,” added another.

One person went even further, tweeting: “Tom Skinner with the unsexiest paso doble that Strictly has ever seen.”

Others were more supportive of Skinner, though.

“All this hating on Tom Skinner is a bit off tbh,” wrote one fan. “Give the guy a break.”

Skinner, a popular internet personality, has faced a backlash in recent months after posing for photographs with the US vice president JD Vance, and criticism intensified after he joined the BBC dancing competition.

Skinner addressed the anger over his participation on the series after receiving a social media backlash for supporting Trump – and said every insult he receives makes him stronger.

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Strictly viewers were left frustrated when Skinner was partnered with Dowden, who was unable to participate in the last two series.

Some viewers have highlighted how the spotlight on Skinner’s involvement with the series may affect Dowden’s longevity on the competition. However, Dowden spoke out amid the fan outcry, praising her celebrity partner.

Keep up to date with all the latest Strictly talking points on our live blog.