STRICTLY star Thomas Skinner’s company has failed to repay a taxpayer-funded £50k loan, despite boasting about ‘turning over millions.’
Competing on this year’s Strictly Come Dancing contest with pro dancer Amy Dowden, Thomas has quickly become the most controversial signing.
Strictly star Thomas Skinner’s company has failed to repay a taxpayer-funded £50k loan[/caption]
Thomas has quickly become the most controversial Strictly signing[/caption]
He faced criticism for his friendship with US Vice President JD Vance and The Sun on Sunday revealed he had an affair.
Now, it has been revealed that the Apprentice star’s firm has failed to pay back a £50,000 Covid bounceback loan.
This is despite Thomas, 34, boasting about turning over “millions” during the pandemic.
But in 2020, Thomas applied for the tax-payer-funded Government loan.
And the Fluffy Pillow Company – of which Thomas is the sole director – has no record of paying back the loan.
It comes as Thomas said that his company, Bosh Beds, was able to “ride a wave on the back of Covid.”
He’s also said in his autobiography of the pillow firm: “The company grew quickly after I finished The Apprentice and did very well thanks to massive demand during the pandemic when everyone had money to spare and plenty of time to spend in bed.”
He also claimed that Bosh Beds was “taking £130,000 pound a week in sales, by 2021, and had 14 staff.”
Thomas wrote: “Everyone’s got loads of money. We was cleaning up. It was easy. It was so easy I put a (social media) post up, it would take £30 grand worth of orders.
“I was riding a wave on the back of covid….million-pound deals were the norm every couple of months. It was insane.”
He also said: “Through the whole first lockdown, we worked seven days a week and non-stop, and because there were no cars around, we were getting sort of 20 to 30 deliveries on the day, going all over the country, dropping off mattresses.
“And it was brilliant. And I thought, ‘wow, we have seriously got a business here. And we started really cracking on and getting in front. We had no competition. We were lucky. And that is when I’m really starting to earn my money.”
As owner of The Fluffy Pillow Company, Thomas would deliver mattresses, beds and pillows, which is something he did throughout 2020 up until December.
Strictly Come Dance 2025 lineup
Strictly Come Dancing news and the latest line up
- Nitro from Gladiators will be showing off his dance moves on this year’s show.
- Doctor Who and ER star Alex Kingston has signed up.
- Chris Robshaw, former Harlequins and England rugby captain.
- Eastenders actress Suki Panesar, has moved from Walford to the ballroom.
- Neighbours legend Stefan Dennis has been confirmed.
- George Clarke, a YouTube star, joins Strictly.
- Dani Dyer, joins with previous dancing experience.
- La Voix is the first drag star to join the main series
- Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink swaps is football boots for dancing shoes.
- Ellie Goldstein became the first contestant with Down’s Syndrome to take part.
- Thomas Skinner is swapping the boardroom for ballroom dancing
- I’m a Celeb winner Vicky Pattison has been announced.
- Emmerdale actor Lewis Cope was announced as the last contestant.
- Game of Thrones star Kristian Nairn pulled out of the show before the launch date over medical reasons.
Then his company applied for the maximum government loan of £50,000.
The loan was intended to provide relief to small businesses who had been “adversely affected” by Covid.
There is no record of Thomas paying the money back, despite the rules stating that it needed to start being repaid in 12 months.
And the sum of money is listed as being owed in accounts from both 2021 and 2022.
Now, Companies House has issued notices to liquidate the firm because of the outstanding debt.
Two strike-offs have been suspended because of an objection.
The Sun has contacted Thomas’ representative for comment.
It comes as Thomas has been banned from using his catchphrase “Bosh” in his company name after a battle with electrical firm Bosch.
The Apprentice contestant hoped to launch a Bosh homeware brand to flog bedding and candles.
But German company Bosch felt it was too similar to their brand, which makes home appliances, tools and gadgets.
Their lawyers have now forced his company to change its name.
A source said: “Thomas has huge plans for the Bosh name and wanted to attribute the name to a number of hustles.
“But as his profile and social media following grew, Bosch got wind of it and put their lawyers on the case.
“A names tribunal forced Thomas to back down and he was powerless to stop it.”
The dad of three uses the word to sign off his motivational messages online.
He also regularly said it when completing deals on The Apprentice in 2019.
Thomas is partnered with Strictly pro Amy Dowden[/caption]
Thomas with his wife who he has admitted to cheating on[/caption]
