Thomas Skinner responds after leaving fans 'traumatised' with latest Strictly performance

Strictly Come Dancing contestant Thomas Skinner has shared a few words on social media after 'traumatising' viewers with his salsa this weekend.

Partnered with Amy Dowden, who overcame breast cancer in the past couple of years, the former Apprentice star's time in the BBC ballroom hasn't got off to the best start - scoring 29 on Saturday night (4 October) and landing above only Ross King on the score chart.

Skinner's Salsa - danced to the wacky 'Bonkers' by Dizzee Racal - was torn to pieces by the judges and fans watching at home, with one tweet reading: "Watching Tom Skinner try and dance is actually making me feel sick. PUT YOUR TONGUE AWAY PLEASEEE."

"The way I feel genuinely ILL watching Tom Skinner oh my God," added a second person, but the 34-year-old refuses to be dampened.

Thomas Skinner and Amy Dowden pictured pre-salsa this weekend (Instagram/@iamtomskinner)

There were some impressive lifts in the routine (Guy Levy/BBC/PA Wire)

"LOVED EVERY SINGLE SECOND OF THAT!! I know I ain't the best dancer. But I'm trying. And Amy has been amazing!!" he wrote on X.

"Enjoying the rest of the dancers! They're all amazing. And if you want to see me next week. Please vote for me & Amy. Love you all. Bosh."

Resident pantomime villain Craig Revel Horwood told Skinner and Dowden during the judges' feedback segment: "It was all just power lifts. The timing was completely off at the beginning as well.

"I could see every lift being prepped and entered and taken out of. It lacked any real hip rotation at all or any fluidity. But you have proved, darling, that you have the strength of an ox."

Thomas Skinner's salsa was... interesting (BBC)

There was a lot of tongue action (BBC)

Motsi Mabuse found a few things to be positive about at least, sharing: "I love the gusto! You went for it! I mean, you're in silver pants, there's glitter, and you stood there like, 'This is it!' It was interesting."

The main issue for Strictly fans on the night seemed to be Skinner's cartoonish facial expressions during the routine - wagging his tongue in concentration and looking down the camera lens.

"@strictly it's hurting my eyes make it stop Tom Skinner," read another reaction, yet Dowden defended their lambasted routine during a chat to co-host Claudia Winkleman.

"If I've learned anything in the last two years; life is too short, take risks," she said.

And yet, their rehearsals weren't without the odd scare.

"It was OK until we had to do lifts and I was high up there and he had his eyes shut," recalled the 35-year-old.