Odds for TV star becomming next Mayor of London slashed

The 35-year-old, best known for his appearances on The Apprentice, has seen his odds slashed from 60/1 to 22/1 in recent weeks, according to bookmakers.

Despite the attention from bookmakers, Thomas Skinner has not officially announced plans to run for Mayor of London, with any potential bid remaining purely speculative at this stage.

The dramatic shift has propelled the Romford-born entrepreneur into the bookmakers' top eight contenders for the 2028 London mayoral election, putting him ahead of several established political figures.

Current betting markets place incumbent Mayor of London Sadiq Khan as the favourite at 2/1, followed by Reforms Laila Cunningham at 3/1.

Former Tory Cabinet minister James Cleverly and Labour MP Dawn Butler are both priced at 5/1.

Tom Skinner (Image: Ian West/PA Wire)

While Skinner is best known nationally for his appearances on The Apprentice and Celebrity MasterChef, he also has strong Essex connections.

Born in Romford and educated at Brentwood School, the businessman has operated a number of ventures in the county and is currently associated with seafood stall The Lairy Lobster in Brentwood.

Skinner's new odds of 22/1 give him an implied probability of around 4%, placing him behind figures including David Lammy and Rosena Allin-Khan, but ahead of a host of other potential candidates.

Chris Rogers, spokesperson for Oddschecker, said: “Tom Skinner's London mayor odds have tumbled from 60/1 to 22/1 in recent weeks putting him in the bookies' top eight.

“The Romford businessman and TV personality has a slim 4% chance of winning the 2028 mayoral election, which could be described as one of the biggest political shocks in modern British history.”

Despite the surge, bookmakers still view Skinner as a long shot compared with the race's leading contenders, with the next mayoral election not due until 2028.