Strictly Come Dancing star Thomas Skinner previously stated his fee was £10,000
Meghna Amin Screen Time Reporter
11:46, 15 Jan 2026Updated 11:49, 15 Jan 2026
Thomas Skinner, former contestant on Strictly Come Dancing, has now claimed that he received a fee of £50,000 for his stint on the BBC show, despite initially stating that he was paid £10,000.
The ex-Apprentice star stirred up controversy with his participation in the dance competition and was the first celebrity to be voted off after being partnered with Amy Dowden.
Since his departure from Strictly, which saw Karen Carney and Carlos Gu emerge as winners in a final that Thomas did not participate in, he has been candid about his experience.
He has made several allegations against the BBC and expressed regret over his decision to take part in the show.
Speaking to LBC Radio presenter Tom Swarbrick, he revealed: "I'll be completely straight with you, I got 50 grand to do that show. I thought wow, 50 grand to do that show a month before Christmas, lovely."
He went on to explain how he uses his earnings to help the homeless during the festive season, saying: "Every single year I post on Twitter where we go out and help the homeless and go and give out a thousand blankets."
"Every year we give out weighted waterproof blankets and they cost a fortune," reports Wales Online.
"I thought you know what, after getting a bit of dough, I can pay for those blankets and use the other half to go on holiday with.
"I thought it'd be out first anyway, but I didn't thought it'd be this massive thing that it went into."
While the BBC has never officially disclosed the amount celebrities are paid for their participation, it has been reported that they each receive a flat rate of £25,000.
Should contestants progress beyond the initial weeks of the competition, reports suggest their remuneration increases to £45,000, whilst those reaching the quarter-finals receive £60,000, with finalists earning £75,000.
This follows Thomas's statement that he was "getting ten grand for Strictly", although the BBC subsequently clarified that this "should not be taken as his full fee".
Speaking to The Times in September, the reality star remarked: "I'm getting ten grand for Strictly but seriously, I'd do it for a tenner."
He subsequently expressed frustration over his earnings compared to fellow celebrities, writing in a now-deleted post reported by The Sun: "How do all these celebrities have loads of money? You don't get bundles of dough for TV or adverts etc (well I don't)....
"But I look on Instagram and they're always in this gaff or posting in a new motor.
"I finished me Strictly stuff earlier today and I'm now out in me van delivering mattresses.
"Do I need to be part of a special club now on the tele that's gives ya unlimited monies."
Throughout his participation in Strictly, Thomas found himself at the centre of controversy and subsequently admitted he regretted taking part owing to the "constant abuse" he endured.
In a message posted on X last year, he wrote: "I've had enough of all this b*******.
"I can't do anything right now without someone criticising me. Or making me do something against my will. It's bulls***."
He went on: "I wish I never done Strictly, I never fitted (sic) the bill for that show let's be honest. And it's caused me nothing but agg. Constant abuse."
He claimed that all he tries to do is "spread positivity online" but has had "a narrative spun against me".
He added: "I went out to work in my van this morning and I'm either getting beeped at or people putting their thumb up at me. I've honestly had enough. Now people I've supported my whole life are starting to turn on me because they see what's going on online. It ain't real life.
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"I think I need to take a break and concentrate on me and my family. Because I ain't one to admit I'm struggling. But I honestly am. I'm honestly tired of all this nonsense.
"Can no one see what's happening to me, I don't know why I've become this target. I've always been the one that's been solid. But I've really really had enough now. Bosh."
Strictly Come Dancing is available to watch on BBC iPlayer