On this column, just some weeks in the past, I made clear from the second that Thomas Skinner was introduced for Strictly Come Dancing that it was a horrible choice, and it’s solely turn into extra obvious since.

Yesterday, the previous Apprentice contestant turned the very first celeb to ‘storm out’ on the present’s press day in Strictly’s 21-year historical past.

The social media star took half in simply two interviews earlier than imploding at what was, by all accounts, an especially calm and innocuous query.

Skinner – lately pictured cosying as much as onerous proper US Vice President JD Vance – was sitting subsequent to former Chelsea footballer and Strictly contestant Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink to speak to the media.

In response to the Each day Mail, after apparently discovering for the primary time he was being recorded, he then stated ‘I’m not doing this’, flipped out and grabbed a feminine reporter’s telephone which was getting used to document the dialog.

Reportedly, everybody within the room was greatly surprised, and it isn’t onerous to see why. 

Skinner has since made a press release, apologising for grabbing another person’s telephone and claiming he grabbed it as a result of he noticed a message a couple of ‘private story’ from his previous on the display screen which ‘caught him off guard’. 

Regardless of the intentions, it nonetheless doesn’t give a lot confidence that Skinner is made from the resilience and integrity he must be beneath such an intense highlight. 

It additionally doesn’t make clear why, within the alleged audio of the incident, he appeared to ask why he was being recorded. Everybody who takes half in these press days is totally conscious the conversations are being recorded. 

In the event that they didn’t as a result of they had been that inexperienced or uneducated relating to media, they’re definitely not ready for the scrutiny and a focus that comes with showing on Strictly Come Dancing.

I had doubts about Skinner’s temperament and suitability, having been greatly surprised by a few of his obvious trolling on social media and what appeared like an try to stoke tradition wars.

On this proof, these fears had been fully justified. In a weird twist of timing, the experiences emerged simply hours after BBC boss Tim Davie defended the choice to solid him. 

I’ve taken half in a number of Strictly press days and they’re admittedly very intense for the celebs and journalists alike. 

We had been sometimes cut up into teams with two or three Strictly contestants circulating across the room. A 3-minute timer is about and that’s on a regular basis allotted to ask expertise questions till the buzzer goes off and the celebs transfer on to the subsequent desk.

Most journalists have skilled a tough second with a celeb on the Strictly roundtable. A well-loved comic threw a strop at a journalist in entrance of me over a really inoffensive query which left the desk bewildered and surprised.

But it surely’s largely accepted that when you signal as much as a present as huge as Strictly, simply one of the crucial scrutinised sequence on tv, that you simply may need to face some questions. And Skinner was apparently solely requested an harmless query – it was hardly a Paxman-esque grilling on a few of his extra questionable output.

After a ‘tussle’ with the feminine journalist, she ultimately managed to retrieve her telephone. 

Skinner left the occasion and BBC escorts reportedly eliminated Hasselbaink from the desk, too, whereas looking for their raging new contestant.

It’s one other headache Strictly doesn’t want after being hit by all method of well-documented controversy lately. Subsequently, BBC bosses are reportedly having disaster conferences about whether or not the gobby pillow salesman ought to keep on the present.

What’s all of the extra disappointing about Skinner kicking off at a quite simple query is that he’s constructed a profession on being bolshy and confrontational – however can’t even reply why he’s signed as much as Strictly.

It’s fully unacceptable.

Skinner’s addition to the Strictly line-up was odd from the get-go. I do imagine the present ought to mirror its viewers, and, sure, a variety of its viewers can be right-wing – I’m positive there’s a handful who had been already Skinner followers. 

What’s particularly unusual is that Skinner was barely certified as a celeb till a couple of years in the past. After competing on The Apprentice in 2019 — the place, even I’ll admit, I discovered him charming — he went on to look on varied mild leisure reveals like 8 Out of 10 Cats and Movie star MasterChef.

He’s since constructed a social media following by having full roast dinners for breakfast and mockingly bragging about his humble beginnings, household values and having no need to be a celeb – regardless of making very clear makes an attempt to be a celeb.

However the BBC made their alternative and Skinner – at the least doubtlessly till now – was going to be on TV screens each Saturday and Sunday evening for what I predict can be at the least six or seven weeks into the competition.