Amy Dowden speaks out on Thomas Skinner BBC Strictly fallout as she addresses finale absence

Mr Skinner, who rose to fame on The Apprentice, had been expected to join fellow contestants for a group performance during the final, which crowned Karen Carney and Carlos Gu as this year's champions.

"I'm just gutted that Tom missed out on what was an incredibly fun, exciting final," Ms Dowden said. "I'd have loved for him to be there."

In December 2025, Mr Skinner said he was considering legal action against the BBC, alleging his early elimination from Strictly Come Dancing was the result of a manipulated public vote.

In a post on X, he claimed to have received an anonymous email, purportedly from a “BBC executive”, containing voting statistics which he said showed he had secured significantly more public votes than his final placement suggested.

Mr Skinner alleged the broadcaster was “hell-bent” on removing him from the competition, citing negative publicity surrounding his meeting with US Vice President JD Vance and what he described as his patriotic views.

He further claimed members of the BBC’s welfare team had advised him to seek legal advice due to what he perceived as the unfair handling of the situation.

The BBC has strongly rejected the allegations, stating Strictly Come Dancing’s public vote is independently overseen and verified by PromoVeritas to ensure accuracy.

A spokesman added that, despite repeated requests, Mr Skinner has not shared the alleged anonymous email with the corporation.

Ms Dowden revealed that when Mr Skinner reached out to her last Thursday, her thoughts were consumed by personal tragedy.

The professional dancer disclosed she had just lost someone profoundly important to her, Philip Perry, her first dance teacher.

"I was really upset on Thursday and still am," she told Ms Lampard.

"I lost somebody who was like a second dad to me - my dance teacher. He passed away on his wife's birthday."

Ms Dowden credited Mr Perry with shaping her entire career in dance, describing him as far more than an instructor to her family.

"I owe my entire dancing career and everything to him," she explained. "He was more than a dance teacher to me and my twin and my family."

The 35-year-old added: "So my mind was elsewhere."

Ms Dowden and Mr Skinner were partnered for this year's series but endured the briefest of runs, becoming the first couple eliminated from the competition.

The pair scored just 29 points out of a possible 80 across their two performances before landing in the bottom two against former rugby player Chris Robshaw, who was ultimately saved by the judges.

Mr Skinner's participation in the programme proved contentious from the outset, with critics questioning his casting due to his association with right-wing figures, including US Vice President JD Vance.

The businessman, 34, faced further scrutiny after admitting to cheating on his wife Sinead with Amy-Lucy O'Rourke just weeks after their wedding in May 2022.

Saturday’s finale saw former Lioness Karen Carney lift the Glitterball Trophy alongside professional partner Carlos Gu, beating Amber Davies with Nikita Kuzmin and George Clarke with Alexis Warr.

Following the victory, Ms Dowden took to Instagram to celebrate her close friend Carlos, whom she referred to as her “darling brother”.

“I know how much you’ve loved this series — you’ve learnt, grown and shown your true, authentic self,” she wrote. “Kaz, you shone. Thank you for being you — beautiful dancing and a wonderful soul!”

The Welsh dancer made no reference to Mr Skinner in her post, with her only acknowledgement of her own involvement being a message thanking the BBC “for another incredible series and for supporting me through and through”.

Ms Dowden’s Strictly journey has been far from smooth, having faced several medical setbacks over the past two years which forced her to withdraw from the show on multiple occasions.

Her most recent withdrawal came in November 2025, when she stepped back to undergo a second mastectomy on medical advice. She has previously confirmed the surgery was preventative and not due to a new cancer diagnosis.

Having already been eliminated with celebrity partner Thomas Skinner in October, the procedure meant Ms Dowden was unable to take part in professional group routines for several weeks.

Just six weeks later, she made a return to the dance floor, performing in the final group routine during the 2025 Strictly final on December 20.

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