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Thomas Skinner Becomes First Celebrity to Leave Strictly Come Dancing 2025 After Dance-Off Internet personality and entrepreneur Thomas Skinner and his professional partner Amy Dowden have become the first couple to be eliminated from the 2025 series of Strictly Come Dancing, following a unanimous decision by the judging panel in Sunday night's results show. The First Exit Confirmed Thomas Skinner, known for his appearances on The Apprentice, departed the competition after his salsa performance landed him in the bottom two, ultimately facing former England rugby captain Chris Robshaw and his partner Nadiya Bychkova in the dreaded dance-off. The elimination followed the first public vote of the series, which combined viewer input with the judges' scores from the opening two weeks of live shows. Both couples reprised their routines for the judges—Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke, and Head Judge Shirley Ballas. Skinner and Dowden performed their fast-paced Salsa to “Bonkers” by Dizzee Rascal, while Robshaw and Bychkova repeated their Viennese Waltz to “Die With a Smile” by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars. The decision from the panel was swift and unanimous. Speaking after the dance-off, all three voting judges—Horwood, Du Beke, and Ballas—chose to save Chris Robshaw and Nadiya Bychkova, citing technical improvement and superior flow in their performance. Head Judge Shirley Ballas confirmed her choice: "The decision for me is based purely on the quality of the routine performed this evening. One couple showed better footwork, flow, and musicality, and therefore I choose to save Chris and Nadiya. " With three votes secured for Robshaw, Skinner’s fate was sealed without the need for Motsi Mabuse to use her casting vote, though she confirmed she would have sided with the majority, stating the technical elements were clearer in the Viennese Waltz.
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Skinner’s Reflection and Dowden’s Emotional Return Following the result, Thomas Skinner reflected on his brief journey in the ballroom, maintaining his signature cheerful candour regarding his lack of formal training. "I've loved it. I've never danced before, and my stay was short, but Amy's amazing," Skinner told host Tess Daly. "It’s been great fun and I've enjoyed it. I can't really dance that well but I've had fun! Thank you, Amy—sorry that we haven't done too good, because you're a different class. " His professional partner, Amy Dowden, delivered an emotional tribute to Skinner, referencing her own health battles and difficult return to the show following a breast cancer diagnosis in 2023 and a subsequent injury last year. "I've got to know the real Tom, and he is adorable. We've laughed so much. We've worked so hard and a glitterball would have been amazing," Dowden said, visibly fighting back tears. "What I’ve learnt in the last few years is happiness, health and being alive is more important than anything.
I lost all confidence as a dancer, but walking into the room with you with a massive smile and a laugh, you brought me back and, honestly, thank you. ” The Scoring Context and Pre-Show Discussion The elimination arrived earlier than some predicted, as the combined leaderboard had placed Skinner and Dowden with 29 points from their two routines (Week One Paso Doble and Week Two Salsa). The lowest judge-only score going into the public vote was held by showbiz correspondent Ross King and his partner Jowita Przystal, leading some bookmakers to tip them for the exit. However, the weight of the public vote, combined with low individual scores from the judges, proved decisive for Skinner. His Week Two Salsa received a stark critique from Craig Revel Horwood, who awarded the couple a score of two and described the performance as looking "like you were competing at a weightlifting competition in Skegness, darling, it was all just powerlifts. " Mr Skinner’s participation had generated widespread discussion prior to the launch of the series, following reports about past personal controversies and his outspoken political views. Despite the divided public reaction to his casting, Mr Skinner maintained that the show offered him a fresh start and a focus on an entirely new challenge. According to Dr. Eleanor Vance, a media analyst specialising in reality television dynamics, the public vote can often favour unexpected outcomes in the early stages of Strictly. "The public vote is rarely a direct reflection of the leaderboard early on," Dr.
Vance stated. "Controversy, either good or bad, guarantees visibility, but if that celebrity doesn't display a rapid, tangible improvement in technique, the traditional Strictly voting demographic tends to gravitate towards the couples who show potential or embody the spirit of the journey, often leaving lower-scoring celebrities exposed, regardless of pre-show noise. " Looking Ahead to Movie Week The departure of Thomas Skinner and Amy Dowden leaves 14 celebrity couples remaining in the competition. The remaining stars, including leaderboard topper Amber Davies and her partner Nikita Kuzmin, and consistent high-scorer Alex Kingston, will now turn their attention to the eagerly anticipated Movie Week special. This upcoming stage of the competition sees the couples perform routines inspired by iconic films, marking a critical transition in the contest as the couples are typically required to focus on theatricality and characterisation as well as dance technique. The results show highlights the high-pressure environment of the contest, even in its opening weeks. While Thomas Skinner’s time in the ballroom was brief, his elimination serves as a stark reminder that popularity alone cannot guarantee safety when facing the technical scrutiny of the judges and the combined power of the public vote. The competition continues next Saturday on BBC One.
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