Thomas Skinner | |
|---|---|
| Born | Thomas Henry Skinner 6 February 1991 Romford, East London, England |
| Occupations |
|
| Television | The Apprentice (2019) |
| Spouse | Sinéad Chambers (m. 2022) |
| Children | 3 |
Thomas Henry Skinner (born 6 February 1991) is an English businessman and television personality. He is best known for appearing as a candidate on the fifteenth series of The Apprentice .
Known for his use of the word "bosh", he has since appeared on other programmes including 8 Out of 10 Cats and Celebrity Masterchef , and has also become known for posting his large and unusual breakfasts at Dino's Cafe in New Spitalfields Market on Twitter and TikTok, receiving millions of views.
Thomas Henry Skinner was born in Romford on 6 February 1991. [1] [2] Thomas recieved a full sports scholarship to Brentwood School, Essex. [3] He worked as a market trader from the age of 16 after the completion of his GCSEs. [4]
Speaking to Essex Live, Skinner revealed he has a learning difficulty, and said it did not prevent him from being a contest on The Apprentice : "I'm dyslexic, I can't even fill out a form and I'm no good at paperwork but it didn't matter, and it really helped me build my career." [5]
In 2019 he was the owner of The Fluffy Pillow Company, selling beds, mattresses and a memory foam pillow of his design. [6]
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, after the owner of the company's pillow manufacturer died of COVID-19, Skinner set up Bosh Beds, specialising in mattresses. [7] He resigned as a director of Bosh Beds in 2022 and the company was later dissolved. [8]
In 2019 he became a candidate on the fifteenth series of The Apprentice . [6] He applied for the series after being persuaded by his girlfriend. [9] Skinner was fired by Lord Sugar in week nine. [10]
In 2020 he appeared on the fifteenth series of Celebrity MasterChef . [11]
In August 2025 Skinner was announced as a contestant on the upcoming twenty-third series of Strictly Come Dancing . [12]
HarperCollins acquired the rights to publish Skinner's autobiography, Graft: How to Smash Life, from his management agency Press Box PR in June 2023 [13] and the book was published in October. [14]
From 22 to 28 May 2023 he became the voice of Elizabeth line platform announcements between Heathrow and Shenfield, to mark the start of direct services between the stations. [15] [2]
In 2011 Skinner was convicted of handling £40,000 in stolen goods as part of his business selling products at markets and possessing 2,000 diazepam tablets. Skinner maintains he was unaware the stock was stolen because it was from a source he did not know. [16] [17]
Beginning in mid-2022, [18] Skinner began posting videos of large and unusual breakfasts, such as Christmas dinner and lasagne, usually eaten at Dino's Cafe on New Spitalfields Market and always ending with his use of the word "bosh". [19] [20] [21] [22]
In 2024 Skinner criticised the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, over knife crime, and accused Khan of having "ruined" London. [23] In 2025 Skinner posted on Twitter that "London has fallen" under Khan's leadership, that "it ain’t safe out there anymore" and "people are scared". [24]
During the 2024 United States presidential election, Skinner expressed support for the Republican Party candidate, Donald Trump, and criticised the British foreign secretary, David Lammy. Skinner stated "I love Trump I think he is brilliant, that's my opinion. I think it's good he is back in charge, it will be good for the UK economy". [25]
In 2025, at the request of the philosopher James Orr, Skinner spoke at a conference called Now and England, organised by the Roger Scruton Legacy Foundation. [8] In his speech titled, "The England I Love", he called for improved childcare and for the police to use more force. He also stated that he was "thinking about giving it a go in politics". [18] New Statesman described the speech as "simple, stirring, populist stuff". [26] Skinner's relationship with Orr led to him being invited to meet the US vice president, JD Vance, whilst Vance was holidaying in England in August 2025. [8]
Skinner appeared in a social media video posted by Robert Jenrick, a Conservative member of Parliament, about tool theft, and the Conservative Party reportedly view Skinner as part of a potential "posh-bosh alliance" that would tie together traditional Tory voters and the working-class. Reform UK are also keen to gain his support and Dominic Cummings has offered him support to stand as an independent candidate for Mayor of London. [27]
He married his partner, Sinéad Chambers, in May 2022. [28] Their son was born in October 2020, and their twin daughters were born in June 2023. [29]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | The Apprentice | Candidate | [10] |
| 2020 | 8 Out of 10 Cats | Panellist | [30] |
| 2020 | Celebrity MasterChef | Contestant | [31] |
| 2022, 2023, 2025 | The Apprentice: You're Fired! | Panellist | [32] |
| 2023 | Good Morning Sports Fans | Panellist | [33] |
| 2023 | Michael McIntyre's The Wheel | Celebrity expert | [34] |
| 2025 | Faking It | Mentor | |
| 2025 | Strictly Come Dancing | Himself | Contestant; series 23 |