STRICTLY Come Dancing star Thomas Skinner has revealed that he had terrifying death threats after meeting up with the vice-president of the United States JD Vance.
The American politician reached out to him after seeing his social media posts saying he admired his positive attitude for life.
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And he invited him to the barbecue of the summer at 18th-century Dean Manor near Chipping Norton in the Cotswolds.
But afterwards The Apprentice star and market stall holder proudly posted a photo of them together on social media – and received a shocking backlash.
In an exclusive interview he admits: “Since I posted that picture I’ve had loads of death threats. People saying they want me dead, saying I am this political figure that I’m actually not. I actually really ain’t. I couldn’t tell you what’s going on in the world right now.
“Now the left seems to be attacking me every day on social media. The right seems to see me as this figurehead and it’s all been a bit much for me, if I’m honest with you.
“I was getting death threats and people calling me controversial. I was thinking, what have I ever done? What have I ever said that’s controversial? When you actually go through my tweets, apart from saying that knife crime is bad in London, yeah?
“I’m not this political figurehead that people believe that’s got my hand.
“I’ve had loads of death threats over the years, you know.
“I didn’t see it as anything more than a barbecue, if I’m honest with you. But I’ve been turned into this political figure that I’m actually not.”
But the East Londoner does admit he was nervous after accepting the invite along with Cambridge academic James Orr and Tory MP Danny Kruger.
He said: “I was very nervous about it, I didn’t know what to wear. When I arrived he literally was like, ‘Why have you got a suit on?’
“He was actually a normal bloke. We spoke about English cheese being so much better than American cheese, West Ham United and how they call football ‘soccer’.”
Fry-up fan Thomas was blown away by the food, laid on by the local pub, describing it as “the b******s.”
He said: “There was a pub in the town, and Jay wanted to go to a traditional English pub, but he knew by going to this pub it would obviously have to shut, because I’ve never seen so many security guys in my life… a proper entourage… he didn’t want it to affect the locals.
“So he asked the pub if they would kindly – he paid them a lot of money – bring some of their staff to cook at the place, and they did, they actually left this beautiful pub in the Cotswolds, they’d come round to the garden, and they cooked this fantastic spread, it was steaks, kebabs, halloumi, honestly it was unreal. Everyone was really friendly.”
He didn’t take pictures, he says, because he didn’t want to “disturb his privacy”.
Joking, he adds: “When Trump comes he might invite me to a BBQ too.”
NO REGRETS
Despite the furore online Thomas insists he doesn’t regret posting the picture. He said: “I don’t regret it, I am a normal bloke and it was an amazing opportunity.
“Put yourself in my shoes. What would you do? You’re a normal person. And, I’ve been given this opportunity to sit with the Vice President of the most powerful country in the world, the United States of America. To me that was, “Wow’.
“And I would have gone, whether it was the leader of France, Germany, I think to sit there and learn, and experience that, whether you agree with him politically or not, it wasn’t about that for me, it was literally to say, ‘I’ve sat there and met the Vice President of the United States of America’.”
Yesterday, dad of three Thomas told how he had cheated on his wife – but bitterly regrets his mistake.
Sinead has been by his side since they got together nearly a decade ago.
Thomas began working part time as a market trader at 13 after being expelled from school. He found several businesses before starring on The Apprentice in 2019 after Sinead encouraged him to apply.
Since then he has appeared on Celebrity MasterChef, 8 Out of 10 Cats, and Michael McIntyre‘s Big Show.
But he is also known for his motivational videos on social media where he shares his love of kebabs and pints.
It was his conservative political views that led to US Vice President JD Vance actually getting in touch with him.
SPREADS POSITIVITY
He says he loves spreading positivity.
He said: “Even when JD Vance sent me a DM, he was like, ‘Look I love your energy, keep it up, I love seeing the high energy and the positivity you spread’.
“Which is literally all I do, all I do is share videos of me having a roast dinner, and do a morning video to say, ‘Have a good day’, because I know what it’s like to wake up and feel like you can’t do this. I’ve been there, and that’s why I won’t ever give up spreading the positivity.”
Throughout the ups and down in his life Sinead – who he dubs Super sensible Sinéad – has been at his side throughout.
He admits the past few weeks have been tough and he has struggled with the public scrutiny.
He said: “It does affect you. I’ve always put on this brave face. But it’s alright to be vulnerable and be down and be upset. There are times I’ve felt low.”
CLOSE PALS WITH RYLAN CLARK
His close pal Rylan Clark also faced backlash recently over his views on migrant hotels which sparked over 700 Ofcom complaints.
Thomas said: “Rylan has been a friend of mine since I was a teenager. I love him. He’s a family friend, he comes to our family events. I go round to his and I bring him round to ours.
“He’s a top guy. And the thing that I just worry about is nowadays, whether someone’s got a different opinion to you, or you say something that might be slightly incorrect or you don’t agree with, everyone should be allowed to have their opinion, and everyone should be allowed to express it and argue it and talk about it.
“But if your opinion is different to someone else’s, people shouldn’t be able to attack you and ram it down your throat, and I think that’s wrong, if I’m honest with you.
“Poor old Rylan got a bashing, and obviously I know what it feels like, because I’ve had a bashing in the last couple of years.”
What Rylan said was: “How come if I turn up at Heathrow Airport and I’ve left my passport in Spain, I’ve got to stand at that airport and won’t be let in? But if I arrive on a boat from Calais, I get taken to a four-star hotel?
“I find it absolutely insane that all these people are risking their lives coming across the Channel like they are. But when they get here, it seems, ‘Welcome, come on in’.”
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He later said he was angry at being “put in a box” over his opinions and called for more intelligent debate. Rylan posted on X: “You can be pro immigration and against illegal routes. You can support trans people and have the utmost respect for women.
“You can be heterosexual and still support gay rights. Stop with this putting everyone in a box exercise and maybe have conversations instead of shouting on Twitter.”
Thomas says the pressure that he and other celebrities receive due to fame can be hard to deal with.
And key to helping keep his mental health stable is the group of friends from the market that he still meets every Friday for “a pint”.
He said: “I think that’s so important, they think it’s funny I’m going on Strictly.
“Every Friday, and I’ve done this for years, you know, since I started out, no matter what, me and my group of little pals have a pint on a Friday afternoon.
“Some of us could be skint on our arse, some of us could be flying, we’re all having the same beer, in the same circle, talking the same thing, and we always, we always talk about what’s been a bad week, sad week, a happy week, a good week, a great week, and we all support each other, and I think that’s so important.”
And his biggest fan – his mum couldn’t be prouder.
Both his parents still work and are real “grafters” – which is where he says he gets his work ethic from.
His mum works in a call centre – but until this week hadn’t revealed who her famous son was, because she says they “never asked”.
He said: “She’s one of the people, when your boiler goes, she’ll ring up, my mum’s the one that you abuse on the phone saying, ‘My boilers gone,” she’s got one of the hardest jobs in the world. bless her.
“When she asked for the day off she said her son was on Strictly. They said, ‘What who’s your son? What do you mean?’ She showed them a picture of me.”
Her son is still a market trader with his own stall selling mattresses and pillows. He survives on just five hours sleep a night and even when rehearsing for the BBC show he says he will set up his stall first.
He still loves his work and feels proud to be helping Britain’s High Street.
Thomas said: “I’m going to try and set up at 6am. Markets help the shops, but then the shops are suffering, the high street’s dying.”
One thing that isn’t dying is his fan base.
Thomas confesses that he has been inundated with direct messages from celebrities on social media offering support for the new dance show.
He said: “I’ve had hundreds of messages, footballers, TV stars, all sorts.
“But I don’t think it’s fair to say who, because they’ve said that to me confidentially, and I respect that.
“People like my energy and the positivity I spread, which is literally all I do.”
Thomas has experienced financial highs and lows, and even homelessness.
He said: “I know what it’s like to have a few quid in my pocket, when everything’s going well, and your business is flying, and you’ve got everyone around you.
“But I also know what it’s like to be on your a***, not having anywhere to live, and not knowing how you’re going to pay your next bill. I’ve been at both spectrums.
“It’s taught me to be strong, and taught me to try and help other people, because life can be so hard.”
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