Thomas Skinner finally comes clean on his affair with Amy-Lucy O'Rourke

Thomas Skinner has told how his affair weeks after his wedding rocked his marriage to the love of his life" Sinead.

The charismatic mattress salesman confessed to a fling with aesthetician Amy-Lucy O'Rourke, which she claims lasted three months. The seismic reaction Thomas' admission caused has, he said, had a profound effect on Sinead, the mother to his three young children.

Speaking last night, Thomas, 34, said: "It wasn't difficult for me because I know the mistakes I've made in my life, but it was awful for my poor wife to read it all, and that's why I feel bad... My whole life has been dug up and regurgitated and my poor wife has to read something that she has moved on from.."

It is the first time Thomas has spoken publicly in length about the reaction to the confession, made weeks ahead of his debut on Strictly Come Dancing. Amy has had her say, insisting Thomas, of Romford, east London, downplayed the affair and that he had introduced her as his girlfriend.

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Speaking to the Daily Mail, Thomas added: "It took a long, long time for her to forgive me and we have worked at it. I will never say I'm perfect but it was hard seeing my wife relive all of this. But she said that it wouldn't break us, it wouldn't ruin us. She told me that she loves me to pieces and I love her."

Sinead will be in the audience at Strictly's studios in Elstree, Hertfordshire, tonight, nd every Saturday until he exits the competition, it is thought. Thomas described his wife as his "rock" in the interview with the Daily Mail, published hours before Thomas' Paso Doble to Battle Without Honour or Humanity by Hotei. He has been paired with Amy Dowden, who last year was forced to withdraw from the series after week six due to a foot injury.

"My wife is my rock and I love her to absolute pieces. I made a mistake. I'll hold my hands up and we have moved on from that. We moved on from that as a partnership... We have built a better life. Sinead is my best mate. Now she is so invested in my Strictly journey, she is cracking up that I am doing this," Thomas, who was on The Apprentice in 2019, continued.

Although Thomas did not win The Apprentice, his charm won praise from Lord Alan Sugar, who described him as the sort of chap you'd want beside you in the trenches. However, Thomas' courted controversy, not least for the affair, but also with divisive posts to his millions of followers on social media. These include videos of his breakfast blowouts or "proper bit of grub", as he calls it, the father of three often enjoys at Dino's Cafe in Leyton, east London.