Strictly's Thomas Skinner sorry for grabbing reporter's phone

Strictly Come Dancing contestant Thomas Skinner has apologised for picking up a journalist's phone before he walked out of press interviews for the new series on Tuesday.

The former Apprentice star and social media personality left the event while talking to a group of journalists to promote the show ahead of its return later this month.

On Wednesday, he explained that he had seen a message about "a personal story from my past" on a reporter's phone, which "caught me off guard". He added: "I felt it was best to step away and gather myself."

Skinner, who is seen by some as a controversial choice for the show, also made clear that he is staying on the line-up, stressing that he "can't wait to give it my all on that dancefloor".

He wrote on social media that he wanted "to set the record straight off the back of yesterday".

"During one of the interviews, a journalist placed their phone on the table to record the conversation," he said. "I happened to catch a glimpse of the screen and saw numerous messages – not about Strictly, but about a personal story from my past.

"I've been through some difficult times in my life, which I've worked hard to move on from. In that moment, seeing it there caught me off guard. I felt it was best to step away and gather myself.

"This had nothing to do with the interviews or Strictly itself. I'm sorry I picked up someone else's phone and I don't even know if the journalist realised their messages were visible, and I don't want to suggest any bad intentions on their part.

"What I do want to say is how excited I am to be part of Strictly this year. I'm so grateful for all the love, kindness and support I've been shown so far. It means the world to me, and I can't wait to give it my all on that dancefloor."

Skinner and other Strictly contestants were taking part in a series of roundtable interviews, where celebrities meet groups of journalists for a few minutes at a time, in a style similar to speed-dating, to take questions.

He made a quick exit before the session had ended, and before he had completed the full press circuit.

Skinner first hit TV screens on The Apprentice in 2019, and has since appeared on shows including 8 Out of 10 Cats, The Wheel, Michael McIntyre's Big Show, Good Morning Britain and Faking It, as well as Celebrity Masterchef.

He is also known for his social media videos which encourage people to think positively, runs a number of small businesses, including a gym, and is a regular on TalkSport Radio.

He has become a somewhat divisive figure, however - his motivational videos have attracted hundreds of thousands of followers, but he has also been criticised in recent months.

Some have taken issue with Skinner's social media posts including one with a photo of himself meeting US Vice President JD Vance this summer, and another of him wearing a Make America Great Again cap.

But many of Skinner's fans praise him for what he describes as "standing up for traditional, hard-working, family values", his patriotism, and his campaigning on issues such as knife crime.

In response to the criticism, Skinner told the Daily Mail last month: "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.

"Who is gonna turn down an opportunity to meet the second most powerful man in the world?"

Earlier on Tuesday, BBC director general Tim Davie defended the decision to cast Skinner in Strictly, which starts later this month.

Speaking to MPs on the House of Commons culture, media and sport select committee, Mr Davie said: "That was not my decision, that was the production team looking for those people... who want to do Strictly, and those people they thought would be interesting to the audience."

Mr Davie added: "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.

"But that's not the case here, from what I know. I'm not an expert on the individual, per se."