Latest news with #ThomasSkinner
Wales Online
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
BBC MasterChef fans say same thing as they spot 'unreal' celebrity lookalike
BBC MasterChef fans say same thing as they spot 'unreal' celebrity lookalike MasterChef returned for its 21st series this week, with a fresh group of hopefuls showcasing their culinary talents MasterChef fans said the same thing as they spotted an "unreal" celebrity lookalike. The hit BBC culinary competition returned for its 21st series this week, with a fresh group of hopefuls showcasing their culinary talents in a bid to become this year's MasterChef champion. On Thursday (August 7), six fresh faces entered the kitchen, with one particular contestant sparking a wave of viewer reaction. At the start of the episode, fans were introduced to 36-year-old landscape gardener Charlie, who opened up about his love of cooking. "[I've been] practising every night putting edible flowers all over beans on toast, jacket potato, even on the side of a sandwich… Nerves are still there a little bit, but feeling good," he said, reports the Express. MasterChef fans were left confused on Thursday (August 7) (Image: BBC) First MasterChef episodes air after Gregg Wallace and John Torode sacked READ MORE: London-based Charlie has been transforming outdoor spaces for over 17 years and dreams of showcasing his love of nature in his own kitchen garden restaurant. "I've done a lot of vegetable patches for people. People want to have sustainable gardens and grow their own food, so I always use fresh ingredients when I can," he explained. "I've got ADHD, so after a hard day's work, cooking is something that grounds me." However, BBC viewers couldn't help but notice that Charlie looked very similar to The Apprentice star Thomas Skinner, with many taking to social media to share their confusion. "That Thomas Skinner on Masterchef?" one person asked on X (formerly Twitter). MasterChef returned for its 21st series this week (Image: BBC) "Great to see Thomas Skinner back on #MasterChef again," another joked, while a third said: "Guess Thomas Skinner has a brother called Charlie." A fourth fan echoed the sentiment, saying: "Charlie, the Tom Skinner of the #MasterChef kitchen, if he doesn't bosh I'll eat my hat," with another similarly sharing: "What is Tom Skinner doing on amateur Masterchef?" Elsewhere in the episode, the chefs had an hour to cook an everyday ingredient and turn it into "something truly delicious", while keeping it as the main feature of the dish. Article continues below The bottom four then had to cook again, before two were eliminated from the competition. Sadly, Charlie was amongst the unforunate chefs, alongside Gifty. The remaining contestants then prepared two dishes for a panel of three past champions, before the judges chose Finley, Claire and Jordan to go through to the quarter final. MasterChef is available to stream on BBC iPlayer
Telegraph
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Green grocer and ex-SAS commander hoping to kick Sadiq Khan out of office
After nearly a decade in power, Sir Sadiq Khan's rule as Mayor of London is coming under increasing scrutiny. With YouGov polling showing that crime, housing and health are seen to be getting worse in the capital, inventive politicians are now taking the fight to Sir Sadiq with viral video campaigns. The most high-profile example of this was Robert Jenrick's video of fare-dodging on the Tube, which showed the shadow justice secretary confronting rule-breakers. But while Mr Jenrick's team have ruled him out of any Tory mayoral race, other 'law and order' challengers to Sir Sadiq are also emerging on social media. They include a viral greengrocer, a former Royal Marines commando and a heavyweight boxing champion. Born in Romford, a traditional Tory voting part of outer London, Thomas Skinner began working as a market trader in East London at the age of 16 and later appeared as a candidate on The Apprentice, Sir Alan Sugar's business-based reality TV show. In his early career he was found guilty of handling £40,000 worth of stolen goods while working as a market trader. He has said of the spent conviction: 'I've made mistakes, in fact more than most, who hasn't made one?' Mr Skinner has since gathered a large following on social media for his jolly videos in which he discusses, in his thick Essex accent, the joys of having a 'cheeky pint' following a day of 'hard graft'. Yet in recent months, he has increasingly focussed on political issues, declaring 'I love Trump' and claiming 'London has fallen' under Sir Sadiq's mayoralty. He has also been involved in knife crime campaigning. 'London has fallen' Last week in a post that prompted speculation about his ambitions for public office, Mr Skinner railed against the decline of law and order in the capital and a loss of 'community'. 'London has fallen. But I'm not giving up on it,' he wrote, claiming that 'people are scared', 'it ain't safe out there anymore' and ' London don't feel like London no more '. 'We need leadership that understands the streets, the markets, the working class. People like me,' he wrote, opening the door to a potential mayoral run. It is understood Mr Skinner currently has no firm plans to run for office and is not affiliated with any political party. But Mr Skinner, who maintains 'I'm not a politician', nevertheless says he has been approached by three political parties in recent weeks. The Telegraph also understands that since he made the post, Mr Skinner has been contacted by members of the Prime Minister 's team. The call was intended to discuss the Government's plans for more skilled apprenticeships for those who, like Mr Skinner, left school at 16. But the attempt to reach out to a popular and rising voice of opposition could be taken as another Labour attempt to head off the threat from Reform. Reform sources say the party will likely fight the next London mayoral election with a focus on law and order, taking inspiration from the political battles over spiralling crime in 1980s New York City. Another figure spoken of as a Reform London mayor is Ant Middleton, the former Royal Marines Commando who made his name on military-based reality TV show SAS: Who Dares Wins. Mr Middleton has said 'it's inevitable that I'm going to be the next Mayor of London' and has already set out a raft of possible policies for the capital. These include introducing a 'Military Guard Unit' on the streets of London to 'be a reactive and deterrent force on the ground'. He suggested such a unit would only accept 'British applicants' and its task would be 'to uphold the values, principles and standards of what our great nation represents'. Mr Middleton endorsed Reform at its conference in September following the general election. He has since grown close to the party's leadership and even visited Washington DC with Nigel Farage for the second inauguration of Donald Trump. In March the UK Insolvency Service banned Mr Middleton from being a company director over unpaid taxes. Derek Chisora, the Zimbabwe-born heavyweight boxer, is spoken of as another possible mayoral candidate for the party. It is understood that Mr Chisora, a longstanding supporter of Reform UK and its predecessor the Brexit party, has been inspired by the success of fellow boxer Luke Campbell who won the Hull mayoral election for Reform in May. In January Mr Middleton and Mr Chisora both attended a slick fundraiser for the party at the Mayfair private members' club Oswalds. In previous elections Sir Sadiq benefitted from a ranked-preference voting system in which ballots cast for other Left-wing candidates would eventually end up in his pile. However mayoral elections are now largely fought according to first-past-the-post. It was the first-past-the-post system that nearly crowned Arron Banks, the billionaire Reform supporter, as mayor of the West of England in May. Despite the Left-wing bent of Bristol, the biggest city in the area, votes were scattered between Labour, Greens and Liberal Democrats with Mr Banks achieving an impressive second place and being just 6,000 votes away from taking power. In the capital, Reform is now projected to replace the Tories as the major political force in outer London if current polling numbers are reflected in the next parliamentary and Assembly elections in Greater London.
Daily Mail
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Strictly Come Dancing bosses 'line up Georgia Toffolo and an Apprentice star for star-studded 2025 series'
Strictly Come Dancing bosses are reportedly already lining up the celebrity contestants for the next series, with Georgia Toffolo said to be top of the wish list. The Made In Chelsea star, 30, previously won rival reality show I'm A Celebrity back in 2017, and might have the chance to do the same on the BBC dancing contest, as she is said to be in talks to sign up. Speaking to The Sun, a source said: 'Georgia is in talks to join – she would bring glamour, poise and fun to the show. 'She's been a huge hit on all the telly shows she's done and would be a popular contestant on Strictly.' The insider claimed that fellow member of high society and MasterChef star, Tom Parker Bowles, is also in the running. The eldest son of Queen Camilla 50, is said to have already been approached for the last series, with bosses keen to get him onboard. 'It would be a coup to sign someone with such a strong royal link. Maybe we could see Camilla and Charles in the audience?' , Strictly bosses have also reportedly signed up Apprentice star Thomas Skinner in the hopes he'll attract 'working-class blokes' to the show. The businessman, 34, was on season 15 of the BBC show in 2019 and reached week nine before he was fired by Lord Sugar, despite losing all his tasks. Known for his strong Cockney accent and 'Bosh' catchphrase, he went on to rack up a large following on social media and appear on shows such as 8 Out of 10 Cats and Celebrity MasterChef. According to The Mirror, Thomas has agreed to appear on Strictly after previously admitting his mum 'would love him to do it'. A source told the publication: 'Thomas hasn't any dancing experience, but he's up for giving the competition his best shot. 'Strictly bosses are hoping he'll get the dads watching. He has a massive following, especially with working-class blokes. 'He's a huge football fan and enjoys pies and gravy. He's not a luvvie at all. He's bound to get his catchphrase 'Bosh' on to the show, too.' MailOnline has contacted the BBC and representatives for Georgia, Tom and Thomas for comment. The BBC announced the professional lineup for this year's Strictly series last month, revealing there will be two brand new dancers joining. Dianne Buswell, who lifted the glitter ball in December with Chris McCausland, will be joining Johannes Radebe, Aljaž Škorjanec, Nadiya Bychkova, Karen Hauer, Gorka Marquez, and Jowita Przystal in returning to the dance floor this September. They will be joined by Katya Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Neil Jones, Luba Mushtuk Nancy Xu, Lauren Oakley, Michelle Tsiakkas and Vito Coppola who will all take to the floor once more alongside two new stars, who will be announced closer to the time. Amy Dowden, who pulled out in the opening weeks of last year's show due to a foot injury, will also be back on Strictly for 2025, as will Carlos Gu and Kai Widdrington, who didn't have a celebrity partner last year. Despite rumours that he might be making a return after missing out on last year's series, Giovanni Pernice will not be heading back to the ballroom this time around. Sarah James, Executive Producer, BBC Studios said: 'The excitement is already building ahead of the new series and in addition to welcoming back our fantastic returning Pros, we are looking forward to welcoming two brand new Professional Dancers to the line up who will help bring another unforgettable series of dazzling dance and loads more besides to viewers later in 2025.' As well as the pros taking part in the competition itself, all of them will be taking to the floor each week in group routines. In recent years, the Strictly pro lineup has seen Italian dancers Graziano Di Prima and Giovanni be axed following complaints about their conduct in the training room. Giovanni faced bullying accusations from former celebrity partner Amanda Abbington while Graziano 'kicked' ex-Love Island star Zara McDermott during rehearsals.
The Sun
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Apprentice star signs for next series of Strictly Come Dancing and hopes to get his catchphrase on the BBC show
APPRENTICE star Thomas Skinner is to swap the boardroom for ballroom after signing to appear in this year's series of Strictly Come Dancing. The Cockney entrepreneur, 34 — known for his catchphrase 'Bosh!' — was first introduced to viewers on Lord Alan Sugar's show in 2019. 1 He also won fans over when he starred on Celebrity Masterchef in 2020, and with his social media content. A source said yesterday: 'Thomas hasn't any dancing experience, but he's up for giving the competition his best shot. ' Strictly bosses are hoping he'll get the dads watching. He has a massive following, especially with working-class blokes. 'He's a huge football fan and enjoys pies and gravy. He's not a luvvie at all. 'He's bound to get his catchphrase 'Bosh' on to the show, too." Thomas, who has three kids with wife Sinéad, was asked previously about appearing on the BBC1 dance show. He said: 'My mum loves it, she'd love me to do that.' And he recently underwent a body transformation, shedding weight and bulking up in the gym. A spokeswoman for Strictly declined to comment.
