Thomas Skinner looked unfazed by his Strictly Come Dancing elimination on Sunday as he enjoyed a drink with his pals at the pub on Sunday in Essex.

The former Apprentice star, 33, who became the first celebrity to be voted off the BBC dance competition this week, was spotted at The Thatchers pub in Brentwood.

During Sunday’s episode, which is filmed on Saturday night after the live show, Thomas was voted off after he left viewers ‘traumatised’ with his latest performance.

Just hours after he was booted off the programme, Thomas was pictured enjoying pints of beer and smoking cigarettes in a beer garden with his friends and child.

Despite his early exit, Thomas appeared in good spirits as he laughed and chatted with the group and put on an animated display with his son Henry, five.

Thomas flashed a big grin as he high-fived the little boy, giving no sign that he was disappointed to have left the show at such a premature stage.

During the outing, Thomas swapped his glittering Strictly ensembles for a green Ralph Lauren jacket, which he wore with jeans and a flat cap. 

This weekend, Thomas took to the dancefloor in week two of the competition with professional partner Amy Dowden, 35, performing to Dizzee Rascal’s Bonkers.

During the first Results Show, Thomas and Amy went head-to-head against Chris Robshaw and Nadiya Bychkova in the show’s first dance off. 

The judges’ scores this week were added to those from the first live show, where there was no public vote, and were then combined with the results of Saturday’s public vote to decide the two lowest scoring couples facing the dance off.

In the dance off, Thomas and Amy performed their Salsa, then Chris and Nadiya performed their Viennese Waltz to Die With A Smile by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars.

But after three votes in favour of Chris and Nadiya, Thomas and Amy were announced as the first couple to exit the competition.

Motsi Mabuse – who this week was the judge with the deciding vote – said that she would also have chosen to save Chris and Nadiya, should she have been required to vote.

When asked by Tess Daly about their time on the show, Thomas said: ‘I’ve loved it. I’ve never danced before and my stay was short, but Amy’s amazing. 

‘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, ’cause you’re a different class.’

Amy added: ‘I’ve got to know the real Tom, and he is adorable. He’s looked after me. We’ve laughed so much. 

‘We’ve worked so hard and a glitterball would have been amazing but what I’ve learnt in the last few years is happiness, health and being alive is more important than anything. 

‘I’ve made a new friend for life and I wouldn’t change a thing. There is a Ballroom boy in there so I’m a bit gutted he didn’t get to do the Ballroom, but the last three years as you know have been quite difficult for me.

‘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.’

Viewers were left reeling on Saturday night after Thomas’s salsa routine went viral for all the wrong reasons.

Within seconds of the performance kicking off, fans flocked to X to blast Thomas’ dance skills, exaggerated facial expressions, and his constant tongue movements. 

One unimpressed viewer fumed: ‘Watching Tom Skinner try and dance is actually making me feel sick. PUT YOUR TONGUE AWAY PLEASEEE.’; 

‘@strictly it’s hurting my eyes make it stop (prayer hands emoji) Tom Skinner.’; ‘The way I feel genuinely ILL watching Tom Skinner oh my god.’; 

‘Tom Skinner, dear on dear. It’s not your fault you can’t dance, but stop sticking your tongue out. Last thing anyone wants to see on a Saturday night.’; 

‘The Pools game is now the second worst thing I’ve seen today, Tom Skinner trying to dance with those facial expressions won’t erase itself from my memory quickly.’ 

Despite the criticism, Amy, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023 but was given the all-clear around 18 months ago, was full of positivity as she chatted to host Claudia Winkleman, 53, after the routine. 

She said: ‘If I’ve learned anything in the last two years, life is too short, take risks.’

However, their risky salsa didn’t win over the judges, who awarded the pair just 13 points – one of the lowest scores of the night.

Amy also admitted she was slightly nervous during rehearsals due to Thomas’s intense ‘concentration face’.

She said: ‘It was okay until we had to do lifts and I was high up there and he had his eyes shut,’ 

However, the dancer added that she does ‘trust’ him before turning to him and gushing: ‘I’m so proud of you!’ 

It has now been speculated that Thomas’ elimination will bring a ‘sigh of relief’ for BBC bosses, after his appearance was embroiled in controversy.

He had already been deemed a controversial signing due to his outspoken right-wing views, but the storm only grew when he confessed he’d cheated on his wife Sinead just weeks after they tied the knot.

After Thomas became the first celebrity to be voted off, conspiracy theories have arisen over whether this was a push by bosses to rid the show of one of its scandals.

Indeed, Thomas’ professional dance partner Amy noted that it was a shame that they hadn’t been given the chance to perform a ballroom dance, which would have likely earned him a higher score than his Salsa in his second week.

Fans had also previously claimed that bosses clearly ‘wanted Thomas out first’ after it was revealed he’d be dancing to the Dizzee Rascal track Bonkers.

In stark contrast to Thomas’ two routines, Chris was given the chance to dance a ballroom, performing a Viennese Waltz with Nadiya in week two, and he received two points more than he had for his debut the week before.

Fellow low-scoring star Ross King also delivered a heartwarming tribute to his home nation of Scotland, dancing a Waltz with Jowita Przystal that earned a higher score than his Cha-Cha-Cha in week one.

It was previously claimed by insiders that bosses had been left in a ‘tricky’ situation regarding Thomas’ outspoken social media posts.

His political leanings have also sparked backlash across social media after he was pictured attending a barbeque hosted by US President Donald Trump’s number two, JD Vance – something he later called a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ event. 

Thomas drew strong criticism for X posts saying it is ‘not far-right’ to be ‘flying your flag and loving your country’, and complaining ‘it ain’t safe out there any more’ in London, saying the city is ‘hostile’ and ‘tense’.

An insider told The Mirror: ‘He’s not BBC staff so there is nothing that can be done about his social media posts other than ask his management to have a gentle word, and they might not want to,’ the source has explained.

The insider added though that they thought it was unlikely Thomas will be voted out of the hit BBC show early, ‘because the public tends to like controversial figures, at least at the start.’

After making his Strictly debut, Thomas posted another X rant, insisting he won’t be cancelled and claiming his marriage is stronger than ever, after he admitted to cheating on his wife just weeks after their 2022 wedding.

He shared an impassioned and lengthy message where he claimed he was ‘being attacked’ and was only getting ‘stronger’.

He wrote: ‘Life ain’t easy. I’ve been kicked down an called every name under the sun recently and probably some of it I deserve, as yes I ain’t always right. But since I got invited to have a BBQ with JD Vance…. its gone crazy. 

‘Certain people are doing everything they can to ruin me. Mainly Faceless accounts givin it large and abusing me, hypocrites making everything political.

‘Now I see people are fumin that I’m on Strictly…. and the funny thing is that the majority of them got ‘be kind’ wrote in their bios. You couldn’t make it up.’ 

Thomas, an Essex businessman who found fame after appearing on Lord Sugar’s The Apprentice, added that his strong work ethic meant he was able to ignore the controversy and ‘graft’.

He added: ‘Let me tell you this. I won’t be cancelled. I ain’t gonna kill myself like some of you want. I’m still here. I’m still standing. Trust me when I say this; I am stronger than people think. Every insult, every lie, every attack….it don’t break me, it builds me stronger. [sic] 

‘I built what I got from nothing. I Slept on a pull-out bed on the floor for years cus I never had a bedroom. [sic] Weirdos write rubbish on Wikipedia about my upbringing that ain’t true, but they can’t take away what I’ve built with graft & fight. They call me a grifter, but all I do is work. Day in, day out, graft.’

Despite the scandals surrounding him, it had been reported that Strictly’s stars were supporting Thomas behind the scenes.

Thomas confessed to Daily Mail’s Katie Hind that the cheating scandal has been ‘awful for my poor wife to read it all’ as he came clean on the affair.

The Sun previously reported that Strictly fans are convinced bosses ‘want him out first’, in turn forcing the other stars to rally around him, after it had been announced his second dance would be a Latin one.

An insider told the publication: ‘Tom is just your average person who’s been flung into a frenzy of hate ever since signing up to Strictly.

‘He’s rising above it all, but of course, it would get anyone down. 

‘That’s why the support from his Strictly co-stars has meant so much to him.

The source added that Thomas has turned out to be one of the most popular members of the cast and that they are all ‘very protective of him’.