Professional dancer Amy Dowden has opened up about her current relationship with former Strictly Come Dancing partner Thomas Skinner, revealing why communication between the pair has been minimal since the festive period. The 35-year-old Welsh dancer, who was paired with The Apprentice star for the 23rd series of the BBC competition last year, admitted that busy schedules have prevented them from staying in regular contact.
Strictly Partnership and Early Exit
Amy Dowden and Thomas Skinner formed one of the most talked-about partnerships during the 2025 series of Strictly Come Dancing, despite being the first couple eliminated from the competition. The pairing brought together Dowden's professional dance expertise with Skinner's reality television background, having originally found fame on The Apprentice in 2019. Their journey was cut short when they faced former rugby player Chris Robshaw in the dance-off, with judges ultimately saving Robshaw from elimination.
Christmas Communication and Current Status
Speaking at the recent TV Choice Awards, Dowden explained the current situation regarding her communication with Skinner. 'We haven't spoken recently - we've both been so busy,' she told The Mirror. 'But we caught up just before Christmas, to wish each other well.' This follows previous comments from December when Dowden expressed disappointment that Skinner missed the Strictly finale, though she confirmed they had spoken before the live show.
The professional dancer previously discussed their communication on ITV's Lorraine programme late last year, revealing that Skinner had sent her messages but hadn't mentioned his ongoing dispute with the BBC regarding voting procedures.
Thomas Skinner's Controversial Claims
The revelation about their limited contact comes as Thomas Skinner prepares for what's being described as an explosive television comeback with his own reality documentary series. According to reports, the programme will examine various aspects of Skinner's life, including his political activities supporting Reform UK and his unlikely friendship with US Vice President JD Vance.
More significantly for the BBC, the documentary is expected to revisit Skinner's controversial claims that Strictly Come Dancing's voting was rigged to ensure his early elimination. Following his exit from the competition last year, Skinner publicly accused BBC bosses of manipulating official voting figures and threatened legal action against the broadcaster.
Doubling Down on Voting Allegations
Skinner has consistently maintained his position regarding the voting controversy. During a recent appearance on Good Morning Britain, he reiterated his belief that something was amiss with the voting process. 'Look, listen, all I am going to say is I've got a lot of bad noise in the press, I was front page every day, it wasn't good for the show,' he told hosts Susanna Reid and Ed Balls.
The reality star pointed to his substantial social media following as evidence of his popularity, questioning how someone with his online engagement could receive such limited votes. 'I know I can't dance, I know I can't dance. I enjoyed dancing with Amy because she's an absolute legend,' he acknowledged, while still expressing doubts about the voting process.
BBC Response and Independent Verification
The BBC has consistently and firmly denied any wrongdoing regarding Strictly Come Dancing's voting procedures. A spokesperson recently stated: 'Strictly Come Dancing's public vote is independently overseen and verified to ensure complete accuracy every week. Any claims to the contrary are entirely without foundation.'
PromoVeritas, the company responsible for independently verifying the Strictly public vote, has confirmed that all votes are comprehensively checked by two auditors. 'We can confirm that all votes received are validated. This has been the case every week,' a representative stated.
Contradictory Evidence and Poll Results
Independent polling data appears to contradict Skinner's claims about his popularity with viewers. An exit poll conducted by website Strictly Spoiler, which surveyed 125,000 viewers separately from the official BBC vote, showed Skinner receiving just 1.4% of the public vote - the lowest of all contestants. The poll indicated he received approximately 1,805 votes, described by sources as 'clear evidence of his unpopularity' among the viewing public.
Skinner has maintained that he received an anonymous email from someone claiming to be a BBC executive, providing statistics suggesting he received far more votes than officially reported. However, the BBC has stated that despite requests, Skinner has not shared this email with anyone from the corporation, preventing them from investigating its claims.
Future Developments and Documentary Plans
As Thomas Skinner prepares to return to television screens with his documentary series, industry sources suggest the programme could reignite the controversy surrounding his Strictly experience. The show is reportedly inspired by fly-on-the-wall formats like The Osbournes and will cover various aspects of Skinner's life beyond his television appearances.
Sources close to the production have indicated that television executives are likely to compete for broadcasting rights once the series is completed. 'Thomas is a popular figure who has had the busiest six months of his life filled with everything from politics to the cha-cha-cha,' one insider commented.
With Amy Dowden focusing on her professional dance career and Thomas Skinner preparing his television comeback, their paths appear to have diverged since their Strictly partnership ended. However, the upcoming documentary ensures that questions about their time on the show - and the voting controversy that followed - will likely resurface in the public consciousness.
