Strictly Come Dancing returned to the BBC for the 2025 season – but some viewers are convinced they have spotted tension between Apprentice star Thomas Skinner and dance partner Amy Dowden

Strictly Come Dancing fans think they have spotted early tensions between a professional dancer and a former Apprentice contestant. Saturday night saw the launch of the 2025 season of the long-running dance show.

A string of stars have signed up to dance their way to glory and the chance to lift the glitterball trophy. And the launch episodes revealed which stars had been matched with which professional dancer.

Thomas Skinner, who is best known for competing on The Apprentice in 2019, was paired with Welsh dancing expert Amy Dowden. But some viewers are convinced they saw the beginnings of a tense working relationship between the pair.

Some fans noticed Amy recoil from Thomas(Image: BBC)

Eyebrows were raised when show hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly introduced the coupled up dancers and interviewed them about their early experiences together. Talking to Thomas and Amy in the green room, Claudia asked the former Apprentice hopeful what his dream Strictly breakfast would be.

He replied: “The best breakfast. We’re going down Deano’s cafe, nice and early, before we get started, get spicy Korean noodles, with chicken breasts and poached eggs and a little bit of Tabasco sauce.

He continued: “Or, if you don’t fancy that, we can have the sunshine chicken curry with the round chips.”

But fans noticed that Amy didn’t look convinced by Thomas’s suggestion, commented that they would beed to dance some of their routines close together, and remarked: “I really hope your food doesn’t repeat on you whilst you dance.”

Thomas then suggested he would be able to freshen his breath with chewing gum before they needed to dance closely. But viewers were convinced they could smell friction between the pair.

The duo were paired up during the 2025 launch episode(Image: PA)

The Apprentice star Thomas Skinner with his wife Sinead(Image: Instagra)

Taking to X, one shared a screenshot of Amy’s distressed expression that she pulled when Thomas was describing his dream breakfast. They wrote: “Oh Amy you poor thing getting put with skinner.”

And another shared a similar screenshot and wrote: “Amy Dowden’s face speaking for everybody at the same time… #Strictly #TomSkinner.”

Others took to social media to campaign for Thomas and Amy to be the first to be voted off, with one commenting: “Justice for Amy – she deserves so much better. Get him gone week one.” But others took to X to defend Thomas after many accounts took aim at him.

One wrote in defense of the reality star: “People need to get a grip. #Strictly chose #TomSkinner to take part this year. Take your vile comments somewhere else. I for one hope him and Amy do well this year.”

Thomas has been embroiled in damaging headlines in recent days after he admitted he was unfaithful in his marriage.

He told The Sun: “‘I had a fling. It was nothing more than that. It was the one time, it was a mistake. I woke up feeling absolutely terrible about it.

“I felt so guilty. I told my wife. I let her down in that brief moment of madness where I wasn’t thinking, where I didn’t appreciate what I had. When I told my wife, I fully understood if she was to never speak to me again. No one else made me do what I’ve done. But it just shows something so brief could ruin your life.”