Former The Apprentice contestant Thomas Skinner returned for the season finale on Wednesday night, much to the delight of viewers.
The fan-favourite, from Essex, was recruited to help finalist Carina Lepore launch her bakery business, in one final push to become Lord Sugar’s new business investment.
And Thomas, 28, melted hearts as he became emotional when Carina’s ideas started to come to fruition.
He’s back! Former The Apprentice contestant Thomas Skinner returned for the season finale on Wednesday night, much to the delight of viewers
In one scene, after creating an ad for the fledgling business, Thomas welled up and cried, seeing the final commercial as a finished edit.
‘Thomas is crying over an advert he created. Bless his heart!’ one fan took to Twitter to post.
‘Thomas is a national treasure, Knight the man!’ another demanded.
‘Thomas lost every task, every week, then he came back on the last episode with the greatest advert ever that helped Carina win. #whatacomeback,’ another person penned.
Fan-favourite: He was recruited to help finalist Carina Lepore launch her bakery business, in one final push to become Lord Sugar’s new business investment
Invested: Thomas, 28, melted hearts as he became emotional when Carina’s ideas started to come to fruition
Someone else posted: ‘Thomas crying at other people’s success. He’s the real winner of this series!’
Someone else tweeted: ‘Thomas crying. Fella is a Proper human. Loves seeing other people do well. We should all be more like Thomas.’
As another wrote: ‘Thomas weeping with pride over the advert. Oh my heart!’
‘Thomas is too pure for this world. Protect him. AT ALL COSTS!’ came another fan’s tweet.
Gushing: ‘Thomas is crying over an advert he created. Bless his heart!’ one fan took to Twitter to post
Sweet: In one scene, after creating an ad for the fledgling business, Thomas welled up and cried, seeing the final commercial as a finished edit
People’s winner: While fans were more than happy for Carina, many called for Thomas to be made a second winner, despite being fired a few weeks ago
While fans were more than happy for Carina – whose business proposal was to start turning her existing bakery into a chain – many called for Thomas – a pillow salesman who once turned down a role on The Only Way Is Essex – to be made a second winner, despite being fired a few weeks ago.
‘With full respect to Carina the winner should have been Thomas. If we had a spare £250K we would back Thomas for his sheer passion, commitment and creative ability,’ someone gushed.
‘I think Carina should hire Thomas to open the second bakery…’ another ventured.
‘Can’t wait to see where you pop up next, Thomas! Lovely sense of fun. TV gold,’ penned another.
High praise: ‘With full respect to Carina the winner should have been Thomas. If we had a spare £250K we would back Thomas for his sheer passion, commitment and creative ability,’ someone gushed
He’s hired? ‘I think Carina should hire Thomas to open the second bakery…’ another ventured
Thomas left the show at the end of November – the first to be axed during a double-firing, after being on the losing team nearly every week of the series.
And the Romford-native has joked that it was his intention to fail the weekly tasks, so that he could spend time in the infamous café the candidates are exiled to to bicker about which one of them contributed the least.
Speaking to MailOnline at the time, he said: ‘I’ll tell you what, that café, they do blinding food and a blinding cuppa tea!’ he told us. ‘I wanted to keep going back there. Any excuse!’
The ever-jovial contestant laughed off the comment, but insisted he was okay with being fired.
‘Look, I enjoyed myself. Those other people on the show, they’re fantastic people. I am still in touch with basically all of them. And I’d want to help them in every way that I can in the future. They really deserve to be there.’
Fan: ‘Can’t wait to see where you pop up next, Thomas! Lovely sense of fun. TV gold,’ penned another
Pals: Thomas felt he’d found a kindred spirit in the form of Lord Sugar, despite eventually being fired just a couple of weeks before the final
Thomas felt he’d found a kindred spirit in the form of Lord Sugar, despite eventually being fired just a couple of weeks before the final.
‘He was my mate in that boardroom. I’d become friends with him in there by that point,’ he said.
Speaking fondly of the businessman, Thomas went on: ‘He knew I’d be okay when he fired me. And the stuff he said when he did it – it was emotional for me. Having a man I look up to say stuff like that – it really touched my heart.’