Thomas Skinner will be returning to The Apprentice for the celebrity Christmas special this year, despite recently slamming the BBC show Strictly Come Dancing.
The announcement comes just weeks after he declared that his time on the popular dancing show, from which he was voted off in the first week, left him living with “hordes of daily abuse”.
During his short Strictly stint, Mr Skinner regularly came under fire for sharing his patriotic views on social media and was accused of pushing an “anti-woke agenda”.
In October, the TV star wrote on X: “I’ve had enough of all this b**s. I can’t do anything right now without someone criticising me or making me do something against my will. It’s bulls***.
Thomas Skinner is set to return to the boardroom for The Apprentice Christmas Special
|BBC
“I wish I never done Strictly. I never fitted the bill for that show, let’s be honest. And it’s caused me nothing but agg. Constant abuse.” (sic)
However, it seems the outspoken businessman couldn’t keep off screens for long, as he has confirmed he will be joining Lord Alan Sugar back in the boardroom for a very festive Apprentice Christmas special.
In a post on X, Mr Skinner wrote: “BOSH IS BACK IN THE BOARDROOM!! For this year’s Christmas special, I’ve been invited back to take part in the celebrity Christmas special.
“The show that made it all happen, where my story started back in 2019! Absolutely honoured to be a part of this! Tommy the talking turtle would be proud. See you soon, Lord Sugar. Bosh.” (sic)
Thomas Skinner shocked fans by announcing return to BBC show, despite Strictly fallout
| BBCFans of the mattress salesman soon flocked to the comments to show their support.
“Nice one mate, bet you smashed it,” one user posted, while another added: “That’s fab! I might actually bother to watch it now.”
However, others expressed disappointment that Mr Skinner is no longer in the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing.
“I still wish you hadn’t gone from Strictly so early,” one user wrote, while another insisted: “You were improving and would’ve done well given the chance.”
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Thomas Skinner and his wife Sinead
| INSTAGRAMThe TV star will be joined in the boardroom by other famous faces, including Big Brother host AJ Odudu, JLS star and presenter JB Gill, EastEnders actor Jake Wood, and broadcaster Angela Scanlon.
Other celebrities joining the line-up are Radio 1 DJ Charlie Hedges, Miranda star Sarah Hadland, comedians Eddie Kadi and Shazia Mirza, and Paralympic athlete Kadeena Cox.
The special episode will see the celebrity business hopefuls come up with an idea for a new festive biscuit, before pitching it to UK retailers.
While his time on Strictly may have come to a premature end, Mr Skinner recently proved his bond with pro dancer Amy Dowden still remains strong.
The duo had been partnered for the 2025 series, but their Paso Doble and Salsa routines failed to impress the judges.
Sadly, Ms Dowden revealed this week that she'd be pulling out of the rest of the series on doctors' orders. The 35-year-old pro dancer will undergo a second mastectomy soon after overcoming a breast cancer battle last year.
Among those who sent their well-wishes to Ms Dowden after she broke the news was Mr Skinner.
The Apprentice star penned: "Love ya Amy. Hope it all goes well. You are a legend," followed by a love heart emoji. (sic)
Thomas Skinner will return to where it all began with Lord Sugar in the boardroom
| BBCMs Dowden announced the news of her withdrawal on Instagram this week. "Hey everyone, as you all know I’ve always been very open about my health and the care I receive," she began.
"So I’d like to start by being clear that what I am about to share is not to treat a new cancer diagnosis However, following a recent appointment with my incredible medical team, we’ve decided that I’ll be having another mastectomy this week.
"They’re confident that, all going well, I can expect a straightforward recovery. Once I have healed, I look forward to rejoining my Strictly family.
"Of course, I’m going to miss not being there so much, but I will be watching from home and look forward to cheering everyone on. Thank you always for all the support. Welsh love Amy xxx."