Latest news with #Bosh
Western Telegraph
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Western Telegraph
BBC Strictly Come Dancing fans slam Thomas Skinner casting
After the BBC revealed his casting, Tom said: "I'm beyond excited to be joining Strictly Come Dancing. "I've tackled the boardroom and some big breakfasts in my time, but stepping onto the dance floor under that glitter ball is next-level stuff! "I've never danced in my life (other than at weddings), but I'm ready to graft and, of course, have a laugh. I better start learning how to dance 😂😂 Honestly over the moon to be asked to be a contestant on @bbcstrictly - Can't wait to learn and give it me best shot. Bosh❤️ — Thomas Skinner ⚒ (@iamtomskinner) August 14, 2025 "Bring on the sequins, sambas and most importantly, the BOSH to the ballroom!' Strictly Come Dancing fans express outrage after 'dangerous and inappropriate' casting of Thomas Skinner by the BBC Many Strictly Come Dancing fans expressed anger at the decision by the BBC to cast Thomas Skinner. One person said: "Someone tell Strictly that being controversial isn't cute, and platforming someone like Thomas Skinner at ANY time, but even more so in the current political climate, is inappropriate and dangerous." Another penned: "It's really not that hard for Strictly to do their research and know that Thomas Skinner should not be a part of the show, full stop. "What a very disappointing choice after what was a great lineup so far. Strictly, DO BETTER." A third added: "Complained to Ofcom about Thomas Skinner's casting in @bbcstrictly. SHAME ON YOU." However, many were happy at the news, with one person writing: "Urh, this is the first year I'm actually up for watching Strictly. Thomas Skinner for the win! Bosh!" All the Strictly Come Dancing contestants announced for the 2025 series so far See all the 2025 Strictly Come Dancing contestants announced so far... Harry Aikines-Aryeetey – Nitro from Gladiators Dani Dyer – former Love Islander Alex Kingston – actor, ER and Doctor Who star Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink – ex-footballer Balvinder Sopal – EastEnders star George Clarke - YouTuber and podcaster La Voix - RuPaul's Drag Race UK finalist Chris Robshaw -former England rugby union player and captain Ellie Goldstein - model Tom Skinner - The Apprentice star and social media influencer Vicky Pattison - TV presenter Stefan Dennis - Neighbours star Strictly Come Dancing will return to the BBC and BBC iPlayer this September.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Truth about JD Vance's new BFF Thomas Skinner's 'modern-day Del Boy' roots: Apprentice and Strictly star's childhood in £2.5m home and £29k-a-year school
Thomas Skinner has always traded on his working class roots, whether it be his love of fry-ups at his favourite café or his famous 'Bosh' catchphrase. But the Daily Mail can reveal that the ex-Apprentice star's upbringing was far from poverty-stricken as he grew up in a house worth more than £2.5million and went to an exclusive private school. Skinner, 34, who had a surprise meeting with American vice president JD Vance this week before being named as a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing, referred to his father in his autobiography as being 'a livewire and a geezer' and a 'ducker and a grafter like me'. But rather than struggling to make ends meet, his father Lee – who his son nicknames 'The Governor' – was a mega rich marketing boss and businessman who was once able to have a garage of Lamborghinis before being made bankrupt over his role in a suspected investment fraud which cost investors £3.6million. Cockney-speaking Skinner who appeared on The Apprentice in 2019 bizarrely got his invitation to enjoy 'a barbecue and beers' with Vance at his Cotswolds holiday retreat after the politician became a fan of his often motivational and feelgood posts on social media. His book called 'Graft, How to Smash Life' which was published in 2023, glossed over large parts of his childhood, describing how he and his parents initially lived in a modest terraced townhouse home in Romford, Essex. But while detailing how his mother worked hard to earn a living, the book failed to mention that he and his family lived from 2002 until 2014 in a much bigger detached house with a large driveway and leafy front garden in Gidea Park, Romford. The imposing property where Skinner grew up last sold for £2.5million in 2017 and is now used for people living in supported accommodation. Skinner's parents are thought to have split up around 2012 when his father disappeared off the electoral register records for the house which has an immaculate and spacious lawned rear garden. He later spent time living separately with his mother and father at their respective new homes while he carved out his career as a market trader, before he eventually set up a company selling mattresses and pillows. Skinner described the semi-detached home in Hornchurch, Essex, which his mother Annette moved to as being so small that he was forced to sleep on a pull out bed on her downstairs floor at a time when he 'did not have a pot to piss in financially'. He made no mention in his book about having been a pupil at Brentwood School which currently has days fees of £29,112-a-year or boarding fees of £56,358. His book described how he had been expelled from a school at the age of 14 when he was caught selling pornographic DVD films to classmates after they were supplied to him by his father to encourage him to make money for himself. While not referring to his time at prestigious Brentwood School, the book, priced at £5.99 on Amazon, made much of his love of buying and selling anything, and eating hearty breakfasts at his beloved Dino's Cafe in Spitalfields Market. Describing his mantra of self-reliance, he stated in his book how he started working on a paper round at the age of 12 before getting weekend work on Romford market and a job sweeping up in a barber's shop Referring to himself as 'a modern-day Del Boy', he wrote: 'Success, money, work, it's never come to me, it's never been handed to me. Everything I 've ever had, I've had to go out and work for and that's generally the rule in life'. Skinner who now lives in Brentwood with wife Sinéad (pictured) and their three children described in his book how his father 'worked the markets and always had a business opportunity on the go' In a reference to his love of spending money as well as well as making it, he added that he 'had been up and down so many times that I've lost count'. The book also told how his wheeler-dealing had spilled over into criminality which culminated in him being given a two year suspended prison sentence, a fine and 300 hours community service in 2012 for handling 4,992 stolen tubes of Body Shop cleansing gels worth nearly £40,000 and 2,000 Valium tablets. Skinner was only revealed to be an old boy of prestigious Brentwood School in a local Essex newspaper report in 2019 which told how he had been chosen to appear on The Apprentice. He was forced to defend his working class credentials after a commentator called him out about his time at the expensive private school in a post on X in July last year. The post said: 'This guy went to a school that costs £23,000 a year to attend as a day student and £46,000 a year to attend as a boarder. Yet, he's got every Deano in the land eating out of his hand as some fake working-class hero. Embarrassing.' Skinner who has admitted being dyslexic replied in a lengthy post which did not name Brentwood School, but stated: 'I got a sports scholarship to a fantastic sports academy school, that I later got expelled (for selling porno DVDs my dad got from me off his mate in the pub so I could have a few more quid in my pocket) and I was an idiot when I was younger.' He added: 'I'm dyslexic and struggled with school, I was an extremely lucky child who got given the opportunity to go there, what's wrong with that? But I worked extremely hard to get myself there and I proud of that. 'I've been working on markets since the age of 12. I work every day and Employ 18 people. I have previous criminal records because I had to do things when I was younger that I'm not proud of and I was naive. Pictured: Jack Skinner and his father at 80s pop star Paul Young's wedding to wife Lorna at the Old Marylebone Town Hall Skinner's parents are thought to have split up around 2012 when his father disappeared off the electoral register records for the house (Pictured) He later spent time living separately with his mother and father at their respective home (Pictured his childhood home, which has an immaculate and spacious lawned rear garden) 'But learnt from it and made me the man I am today. I'm proud of where I've come from and what I've achieved in life. All I try to do is spread positivity and let the world know anything in life is achievable with hard work.' Skinner was ejected from The Apprentice by Lord Sugar in Week Nine of the show in 2019, and went on to capitalise on his TV work with appearance on 8 Out of Ten Cats and Celebrity Masterchef. But his social media fame only really took off in Covid when he started posting videos of himself while speaking of the joys of being British, having a happy family life and motivating fans with messages such as: 'It doesn't matter how big those steps are you're taking as long as they're in the right direction.' Many of his clips were filmed behind the wheel of his trusty Transit van while he was making deliveries across the country. Since Covid, his social media posts often show him tucking into breakfasts at Dino's. It emerged this week that he was invited to meet JD Vance at his Grade Two listed manor house holiday home in the Cotswolds, thanks to them both being mutually acquainted with Dr James Orr, associate professor of philosophy of religion at the University of Cambridge. Orr told the Telegraph this week: 'He's a very busy man. He's up at 3.30am grafting, going for those revolting breakfasts, gets in his van, drives around the South East delivering mattresses, has a cheeky pint at his local.' He said he viewed Skinner as being a patriotic, straight talking family man and effectively 'England incarnate'. Orr said: 'There's something timelessly English about him… It's the energy, the sunny optimism, the authenticity. And maybe… a glimpse into what's been lost.' Earlier this year, Orr persuaded Skinner to speak at a London conference called Now and England which he was organising for the Roger Scruton Legacy Foundation after seeing some of his videos. Referring to himself as 'a modern-day Del Boy', he wrote: 'Success, money, work, it's never come to me, it's never been handed to me. Everything I 've ever had, I've had to go out and work for and that's generally the rule in life'. He added: 'We had too many wonks, eggheads, politicians, and nobody who could speak of England… I thought, 'This guy is Romford on legs and I want him at this conference'. 'He came to the conference and gave a barnstorming speech, and what was so powerful about it was it wasn't political, wasn't point-scoring, wasn't having jabs at the Government or Opposition… He talked in a straightforward and emotionally powerful way about his love of England.' Orr suspected JD Vance would get on well with Skinner and sent his politician friend a picture of him, saying: 'We have to go for pints with this guy'. JD Vance later voiced support for Skinner on X after the former Apprentice star said he had received 'death threats' and 'vile comments about my children' following posts in which he claimed 'something's gone wrong' in the UK. In response, the Vice President posted a picture of a cartoon character and wrote: 'Hang in there, my friend. Remember that 90 percent of people attacking your family look like this.' Following their surprise meeting, Skinner posted a picture of himself on Tuesday, dressed in a smart white shirt and tie with his unlikely political friend dressed in a polo shirt 'after a few beers'. He added that it had been 'a cracking night in the beautiful English countryside with JD, his friends and family' and a 'once in a lifetime' moment, before his trademark, signing off with the word: 'Bosh'. Skinner who has a combined 1.1 million followers on Instagram and X had his profile raised still further this week when he became the tenth contestant to be announced by the BBC for this year's Strictly starting next month. He also spoke of how his life spilled into criminality after being handed a two-year suspended prison sentence for handling 4,992 stolen tubes of Body Shop cleansing gels and 2,000 Valium tablets He welcomed the news, saying: 'I'm beyond excited to be joining Strictly Come Dancing. I've tackled the boardroom and some big breakfasts in my time but stepping onto the dance floor under that glitterball is next level stuff! 'I've never danced in my life (other than at weddings) but I'm ready to graft and of course have a laugh. Bring on the sequins, sambas and most importantly, the BOSH to the ballroom!' Skinner who now lives in Brentwood with wife Sinéad and their three children described in his book how his father 'worked the markets and always had a business opportunity on the go' during his 'idyllic normal upbringing'. But the Daily Mail can reveal that his father was at the centre of a long running investigation by the Financial Conduct Authority into his attempts to revive the former Our Price records brand as an online operation selling discounted goods which led to investors losing nearly £4million. He and a business associate were found to have breached financial regulations by selling shares in their company Our Price Records Ltd to 260 investors, with amounts invested ranging from £1,200 to £252,000 Lee Skinner was said to have duped investors with bogus promotional material without telling them that at least £1.58m in commission on the share sales was being paid to third party shell companies. It was revealed in 2020 that he had been leant more than £760,000 by one of the companies which had received commission in return for him supposedly providing administrative and marketings services for Our Price Records. The High Court heard that most buyers were introduced by a company which falsely stated that Lee Skinner was 'a personal friend of Richard Branson' and that the band Madness had agreed to appear for free to promote the scheme. As a result of the case, he had a bankruptcy petition filed against him by the FCA in May 2020 and was banned from being a company director for ten years, according to financial records. wife Sinéad Meanwhile further details of Thomas Skinner's now spent conviction for handling stolen goods have now emerged. He was aged just 20 in 2012 when he was charged with a much older co-defendant Albert Jackson, then 61, Jackson from Aveley, Essex, who died in 2015 was accused of handling 9,552 tubes of the same gel to the value of £76,000 as well as 171 pairs of Sketches footwear worth £8,000. A woman who was once in a relationship with him said: 'I don't know what Albert's connection to Tom Skinner was beyond them being on the same charge in court - but I can tell you Albert was a wrong un. 'He was a proper thief, very into drugs and violent - he once attacked a fella n a pub with a crowbar. A nasty piece of work.' Skinner spoke of his brush with the law in 2019 when he told the Mail: 'Many years ago before I had my business, when I used to work on the markets, I was young and naïve and brought stock from a source that I didn't know. I wasn't aware that the stock was stolen and paid the consequences for the mistake I made.' As a result of his ordeal, he stated that he now only buys from 'trusted sources'. He added: 'That is now well in my past and I have had a string of successful companies since then… I was put in situations I didn't fully understand when I was younger but they have made me the man I am now. I am a changed man.' But Companies House records suggest that Skinner may be having business problems, or at the very least not keeping up with paperwork, due to lateness in filing returns to Companies House. His firm called The Fluffy Pillow Company which was launched in January 2019 last filed accounts for the year ending in January 2022, with accounts for the following year now being nearly 22 months overdue. Even the last set of accounts raised questions about the company as its net assets were listed as £51,301 with £50,000 falling due eventually to creditors. Unusually, the figures for the previous year were exactly the same.
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Strictly Come Dancing's Tom Skinner responds to fierce backlash after BBC announcement
Tom Skinner has hit back after fans lambasted his Strictly Come Dancing appearance. The former star of The Apprentice was announced as one of this year's celebrity contestants on the hit BBC show. However, viewers were quick to make their feelings known about the decision to sign up the star. Toms, 34, was unveiled as the tenth contestant for the new series of Strictly. And in the Instagram post of the announcement, fans fumed with the organisation. "Big yikes and no from me," said one. "Do some more research please, BBC babes." "Wow absolutely disgraceful decision," added another, while a third said: "Oh no. This man is so offensive." And a fourth said: "Yeah Strictly ... this ain't it. This is such a bad vibe choice. Ugly opinions and deeply polarising. Can't help but feel like this is going to be an own goal." On Twitter /X, Tom has over 400,000 followers on X. And he admitted that he has seen some of the criticism headed in his direction today. In a new post on the platform he wrote: "They say don't read the comments on social media. But I couldn't help myself. "I've had absolute pellets all day on my instagram lost about going on strictly." He then shared a link to Instagram as he went on: "Have a look at some of these on Instagram …. Why are some people so angry that don't even know me. Not Bosh." Earlier, he had posted: "Well the news is out about me going on Strictly. Never in a million years did I think I would Recieve the amount of messages of support (and the also amount of hate). "But thank you to everyone. You're absolutely legends. I'm gonna sit and have a few cold ones and take in what's actually going on. Life is crazy. Gotta grab everything with both hands and take it for what it is. Hope you have a wonderful afternoon. Love you all. Bosh." The backlash comes after Tom, since his appearance on the Apprentice, has become known for his social media content. He sometimes post controversial opinions, as well as takes on business, politics and family life. As well as Tom and the BBC facing the fume of fans, a number of the stars of Strictly also felt the wrath online. Strictly, hosted by Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly, will return to BBC One and BBC iPlayer in September, with Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and Shirley Ballas as judges.
Glasgow Times
23-06-2025
- Glasgow Times
Inquiry into fatal shooting of asylum seeker to last up to 12 weeks
Badreddin Abdalla Adam Bosh, 28, an asylum seeker from Sudan, stabbed six people on June 26 2020. He was being housed at the Park Inn Hotel, West George Street, Glasgow, where the attack happened, and was one of hundreds of asylum seekers moved into hotels in Glasgow at the start of the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020. Mr Bosh was shot dead by police who attended the scene. A preliminary hearing at Glasgow Sheriff Court was told the inquiry will examine 'areas of dispute' including whether mental health assessment was sufficient; and whether tasers should be classified similarly to batons when used by police officers. The Home Office, Mears Group PLC, the Scottish Police Federation, Glasgow City Council, the Scottish Ambulance Service, and Migrant Help UK are some of the organisations which will have legal representation. Sheriff Principal Aisha Anwar said that an anonymity order for police officers involved has been granted and that the fatal accident inquiry is expected to take between 10 to 12 weeks. She said that the incident had been 'clearly distressing for all involved'. Last year, Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain decided it was in the public interest to hold a discretionary FAI. Emma Toner, representing Police Scotland, said: 'The principle area of interest is in the police response to the incident.' The hearing at Glasgow Sheriff Court was told that Police Scotland 'had no knowledge that the hotel was housing asylum seekers' and that there could have been the opportunity to 'de-escalate', according to Shelagh McCall KC, representing the Scottish Police Federation. Ms McCall said: 'Police Scotland had no knowledge that this hotel housed asylum seekers at relevant time. Had that been communicated there was the opportunity for community engagement with staff and residents at hotel. 'Community policing can help with issues before they escalate.' She said that other issues were 'in relation to a spontaneous firearms incident', and the armed police operating standard procedure, regarding 'communication difficulties' and 'whether there are others in the area which match the description of the suspect'. She said that many of the asylum seekers at the hotel did not speak English but had to communicate with armed police, and that the inquiry would hear evidence that tasers 'were used by trained officers who need permission to deploy' and 'should be treated like batons'. Sheriff Principal Anwar said that the scope for investigating mental health training for officers was 'too broad' but that 'whether they had been made aware of it, would be different'. Adam Black, representing NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, said: 'One area of dispute is questions around assessment of Mr Bosh's mental health.' Sheriff Principal Anwar said: 'Clearly this incident was distressing for all those involved, there is keen interest in moving forward, and that all parties are prepared.' She fixed a further preliminary hearing for September 15.
Glasgow Times
23-06-2025
- Glasgow Times
Family of man shot dead by cops asks for review of police actions
Badreddin Abdalla Adam Bosh, 28, attacked his victims at Glasgow city centre's Park Inn on June 26, 2020. A probe into his death was also told today that the police were unaware the hotel housed asylum seekers at the time. Officers had attempted to use non-lethal weapons to disarm Mr Bosh during the incident before he was shot and killed. The Sudanese national was one of hundreds of refugees moved from flats to hotels at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. This was a move that raised concerns about the mental health of often vulnerable individuals. Three asylum seekers, two hotel workers and police officer David Whyte - who had responded to the emergency call - were injured by Mr Bosh during the attack. A police forensic tent at the scene in West George Street, Glasgow, where the shooting took place (Image: Andrew Milligan/PA) Emergency services on the scene, 2020 (Image: Archive) READ NEXT: Error made by police who shot and killed Glasgow Park Inn attacker A second preliminary hearing took place at Glasgow Sheriff Court in preparation for the full inquiry, which will take place at a later date. An FAI is a public examination of the circumstances of a death in the public interest before a Sheriff, which does not apportion blame or fault. Mark Stewart KC, representing Mr Bosh's next of kin, told the hearing that an expert report from an ex-MET police superintendent has been arranged. He said: "My purpose is not to seek to put forward an alternative version of events but to be clear and thorough and review what happened. "Also, it is to see whether or not what the previous statements tell us are a correct and accurate version of the tactical options that were available and the various decisions that were taken. "Once that report is supplied, if there are any difficulties, these will be matters which will be focused. "The expert has been involved in these kinds of reviews before." Mr Stewart also confirmed that Mr Bosh was in communication with his brother, which included WhatsApp messages that have been lodged with the inquiry. Shelagh McCall KC, acting for the Scottish Police Federation, later told the hearing: "The police officers had no knowledge that the hotel housed asylum seekers at the relevant time. "The first issue is if it was intimated to Police Scotland that there was an opportunity for community policing to engage with staff and residents at the hotel. "It is my understanding that community policing can address issues before they are escalated. "It may be a matter to explore that advanced knowledge of who was housed in the hotel would provide some information to those dealing with an incident." Solicitor Aamer Anwar speaking outside Glasgow Sheriff Court (Image: PA) Badreddin Abdalla Adam Bosh (Image: Police Scotland) READ NEXT: Twelve men accused of violent revenge after man's death Advocate depute Alan Cameron KC earlier stated to the hearing that work will begin on drafting a joint minute of agreement to reduce the length of the inquiry. A previous hearing had been told that there are at least 83 witnesses due to appear at the official probe, which could take place next year. A number of organisations will be represented at the inquiry, including the Scottish Ambulance Service, Glasgow City Council, the Mears Group and the Home Office. A continued preliminary hearing was fixed for September this year by Sheriff Principal Aisha Anwar. She said: "We will not be fixing a date [for the inquiry] - at the next hearing, we may be in a position to identify a date."
