Thomas Skinner delves into real reason behind emotional BBC Celebrity Apprentice return as he's left in tears: 'I cried!'

Mr Skinner has cemented himself as a celebrity in his own right thanks to appearances on celebrity editions of MasterChef and The Wheel, and was even snapped up to be a contestant on this year's Strictly Come Dancing.

But it's the business world where Mr Skinner's passions lie, so the chance to return to the boardroom and work with Lord Sugar again was an opportunity that clearly got the better of him.

"It was good to be back, and I really enjoyed it," Mr Skinner said. "I wasn't nervous. I was emotional in the first boardroom, really emotional. I don't cry, and I cried."

Explaining why the waterworks soon flowed, he said: "Look, I absolutely loved going on The Apprentice.

"The process, the first time I went on it back in 2019, it changed my life, completely changed my life.

"I got married since, I've got three beautiful children, and I've got so much to thank the show and the producers, and everyone from that experience, and it's just an honour to be able to come back and this time have a bit of fun and raise some money for Children in Need."

While his surroundings may have felt familiar once he faced Lord Sugar, Baroness Karren Brady, and new advisor Mike Soutar, it's safe to say the process of facing the celebrities was markedly different to when Mr Skinner entered as a budding businessman.

"It’s very different," he admitted. "I think the difference is when I first went in there, you're trying to win money to invest in your own business, whereas this time round it's not for you, it's to raise money.

"So it's a little bit more serious this time, in a way. The last time I was in here was to nick a few quid for myself, selfishly.

"But this time round, this is for kids who really need this, so this is big. I’ve stood on my own two feet since I was 16, I’m a grafter, I can turn my hand to anything.

"I lost loads of tasks when I was on the show last time, but look how it turned out, I’m back as a celebrity!"

But was Mr Skinner able to transfer any of the skills he learnt on the show back in 2019 to this year's festive special? "No, because I was rubbish the first time I did the show," he conceded.

"I lost eight out of nine tasks. I just was myself really and had a laugh and enjoyed doing it and helped raise money."

Mr Skinner's fond return to the boardroom comes following a rather tumultuous few months back in the limelight during his stint on this year's Strictly.

Initially partnered with Amy Dowden, Mr Skinner's time on the show was plagued with backlash from the BBC show's fans over his political stances and social media posts.

He also failed to impress on the dancefloor, coming under heavy criticism from the likes of Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, and Anton Du Beke for his performances.

The reception towards Mr Skinner resulted in him being the first star eliminated from the series, something his opponents celebrated soon after.

The abuse he faced before, during, and after his time on the dancefloor prompted him to admit he "wished he'd never done" the show in a furious online outburst.

However, he hasn't let the naysayers stop him from standing up for what he believes, regularly voicing his opinions about the current Labour government and its treatment of small business owners.

Speaking to Alex Armstrong on GB News following this year's Budget, for example, Mr Skinner said: "I think they should give me the job. Let's have it right, why have we not got the people who make this country great in power? Why have we not got the people that make this country great in power?

"Why are the people who run the businesses - why are they not the politicians? If you know how to run a business, if you know how to make money, if you know how to put food on the table, you should be making decisions that his country needs.

"You know, these people who are career politicians don't understand how the real world works. That's my opinion, mate, and I stand by that."