He won’t be letting anything dim his sparkle.
Layton Williams has had a phenomenal time on Strictly Come Dancing, with consistent high scores every weekend – however, there has been a constant wave of negativity thrown his way.
Since the moment it was confirmed Williams would be taking part in the series, many people flocked to social media to criticise the fact he is a musical theatre performer, meaning he has had professional dance training.
The actor previously issued a statement to Strictly fans earlier in the competition, admitting that the trolling from viewers has become “overwhelming”.
“I’m just here to have fun like all the other contestants,” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “I’m trying to handle this with a smile and determination to slay another day but reminder #BeKind.”
Despite this, Williams has found himself in the final, and the weeks of training will finally come to a head this weekend.
Reflecting on the negativity he has faced, Williams told RadioTimes.com and other press that the comments are “not defining” his journey on Strictly.
He noted that he was “aware” that him taking part in the show would “have some noise”, but admitted he was “definitely not anticipating how much it had”.
Williams continued: “I’m not the only person that’s been in this position, so I don’t understand why it’s shock horror news, because I’m not first, [and I] won’t be the last. Just, let’s keep it moving.”
The actor explained that he has not and will not let the cruel comments define his journey, explaining that what has kept him going is being able to “inspire people”.
Reflecting on his time in the competition, Layton told RadioTimes.com and other press: “I’m going to look back on my Strictly journey and smile. I’m not going to be thinking about my trolls.”
He added: “We’re keeping it moving. Whatever happens in the final happens, but we are so proud of everything we’ve done.”
Layton and Nikita have found themselves in the top half of the leaderboard for a few weeks now, and have only faced the dance off once in their Strictly journey.
One performance that viewers couldn’t get enough of was their recent Charleston to Fit as a Fiddle by Gene Kelly, which even saw judge Craig Revel Horwood give them a standing ovation.
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The dance number impressed everyone, including Gene Kelly’s widow, Patricia Ward Kelly, who sent praise to the duo recently.
Sharing a picture of them dancing, she wrote: “A lovely nod to Gene and Donald by Layton and Nikita with their Charleston on Strictly Come Dancing.
“Gene always said, ‘Don’t imitate me. Take what I did and go beyond.’ I think these two mastered that.”
Speaking about what that praise meant to them, Williams said: “That’s amazing. You’re kind of in your little bubble, you turn up on a Friday, you do your dress rehearsal, and everyone’s like, ‘Well done,’ and then you do it and get the scores and comments and you’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s really special, isn’t it?’”
The dancing duo will be performing three routines this week, including their Week Two quickstep, which has been revamped for the grand finale.
Strictly Come Dancing: The Final airs on Saturday 16th December at 7pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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