Strictly's Thomas Skinner recalls moment he told wife about 'shameful' affair

Thomas Skinnerhas recalled one of the darkest moments of his life, when he was forced to admit to cheating on his wife Sineadjust weeks after they tied the knot.

The 34-year-old businessman, who first rose to fame on The Apprentice and will appear on the new series of Strictly Come Dancing, said the guilt consumed him after what he described as a two-week fling.

The reality star revealed he met Amy-Lucy O’Rourke, 35, in a pub more than three years ago. “She was a single mum,” he recalled. “We chatted on the phone and she offered me some kind of cosmetic slimming treatments.”

According to Thomas, the encounter soon escalated but he admitted that it was the biggest mistake of his life going behind his wife's back and cheating on her. “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.”

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He admitted the short-lived affair with Amy Lucy O'Rourke was “the biggest mistake of my life,” and described the devastating moment he confessed to Sinead, whom he had married just weeks earlier.

Speaking to The Sun, Thomas said: “I let her down in that brief moment of madness where I wasn’t thinking, where I didn’t appreciate what I had. I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”

Thomas and Sinead first met in a London bar in 2018 and got engaged two years later. By the time of the fling in 2022, they were already parents to a son, now four. Their family has since grown with the arrival of identical twin daughters, now two.

Despite the betrayal, Thomas said his wife stood by him and insisted that they are now better than ever. “My wife is the best thing that’s ever happened. I’m so lucky she forgave me. It was the worst thing I’ve ever had to do. It was terrible. I’m a very, very open book, and I don’t hide anything from my wife. She was obviously distraught, upset. Didn’t think I’d do that to her. When I told my wife, I fully understood if she was to never speak to me again.”

The east London entrepreneur admitted that the affair was entirely his fault, acknowledging that such a brief lapse in judgment almost cost him everything.

He reflected on the aftermath with deep regret, describing that period as one of the darkest points in their relationship. Although he and Sinead have since rebuilt and become stronger as a couple, he said the pain he caused her is something he will always carry.

He credited her kindness and resilience for keeping their family together, saying he owes much of who he is today to her support. Calling her the foundation of his life, he admitted he had been selfish and is profoundly grateful for her forgiveness, knowing she never deserved the hurt he caused.

"I’m an idiot for doing that. My wife is my rock. She’s the person I adore more than anything in the world. And I let her down. I’m ashamed. I’m so fortunate my wife’s forgiven me. She didn’t deserve it. I was a selfish person," he insisted.

Despite the ordeal, Thomas says he and Sinead are determined to move forward, with family life at the heart of everything.

He has since described Sinead as his “Super Sensible” partner and insists she has been his anchor through both his personal mistakes and his professional highs.

A spokesperson for Amy Lucy said: "This has been an incredibly stressful and painful chapter in Amy Lucy’s life. She did not have a fling with Mr Skinner, she had a relationship with him and was deceived then treated appallingly. She will consider her response and speak her truth in due course."

The Mirror has approached Thomas' representatives for comment on this story.

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