Strictly’s Layton Williams hints there may be other factors behind the vicious backlash he has received for his dance background as he hits back saying: ‘I’m not the first or last’ contestant with obvious advantage

As a top West End theatre star, Strictly finalist Layton Williams has fallen victim to online trolls who say he is too experienced at dancing to be on the show.

And now the former Billy Elliot performer, 29, has hinted that the hate could have been brought on because of his multiracial background and the fact he is gay.

Williams, who is dancing with male professional Nikita Kuzmin, 25, says that the level of trolling has been ‘shocking’ and admits that while Strictly has featured same sex couples in the past, he is the first ‘queer’ contestant to fully express their ‘flamboyant’ personality on the ballroom floor.

Speaking ahead of Saturday’s final, he said: ‘Obviously, I was aware of the fact that it might have noise, but I definitely did not anticipate how much it has been because I am definitely not the first person to be in this position and I don’t understand why it’s shock horror news because I’m not the first and won’t be the last, let’s keep it moving, you know?

‘From the very beginning, I’ve been like, cool, if people are going to expect a certain level, let’s give them that and then some.’ 

West End theatre star Strictly finalist Layton Williams has fallen victim to online trolls who say he is too experienced at dancing to be on the show 

The former Billy Elliot performer has hinted that the hate could have been brought on because of his multiracial background and the fact he is gay

Williams, who is dancing with male professional Nikita Kuzmin, says that the level of trolling has been ‘shocking’ 

Williams – star of the 2021 movie Everybody’s Talking About Jamie – also claims that his critics only lambast him when he is getting high scores and that his social media quietened down during the weeks he received lower scores from the judges, such as when he danced the Viennese Waltz to There Are Worse Things I Could Do from Grease and was given just 28 points out of 40.

‘It has been hard, the pressure of feeling like you have to do well,’ said Williams who will on Saturday go up against Ellie Leach, 22, and Bobby Brazier, 20, in a bid to lift the Glitterball Trophy.

‘This is the funny thing, no one is going hard and moaning or complaining when I’m rubbish… remember the Viennese Waltz? I didn’t get many tweets that week did I! It’s only when you’re doing cute that people want to drag you down, which is fine, and we have managed to get around that.

‘It has not defined my journey, what has defined my journey has been who we have been able to inspire, not people that are keyboard warriors, they are just a small percentage.’

The trolling echoes 2018 when former Pussycat Doll Ashley Roberts, 42, was vilified for being too much of a talented dancer.

However, in contrast to the online negativity, Williams says when he’s approached by Strictly fans in the street, he is shown a lot of love as he admits starring on one of the BBC’s most watched shows has increased his public profile.

He said: ‘When I am out in the streets honey, I was shopping on Sunday in Selfridges doing my thing and I was being approached and I was like, oh my God I’m on TV… the love is crazy, they really be coming up to me and nobody is coming up to me in the streets and try and cuss me down, do you know what I mean?

‘Honestly, I am taking from this and look back on my Strictly journey with a smile. It’s all love here. I have found myself a new friend so I’m happy.’

The Bad Education actor admits that while Strictly has featured same sex couples in the past, he is the first ‘queer’ contestant to fully express their ‘flamboyant’ personality 

However, in contrast to the online negativity, Williams says when he’s approached by Strictly fans in the street, he is shown a lot of love 

Kuzmin has also called for Strictly viewers to realise that the show hasn’t been easy for Williams, saying: ‘I would like people to realise that I know he makes it seem easy… on the floor he makes it seem easy, but we are putting in the hours and the choreography is really hard…

‘There is nothing either similar technologically or choreographically to anything he has done before so we are working really hard, and I hope people appreciate it.’

Williams, who hails from Bury, Manchester, was awarded a scholarship to train at the prestigious Sylvia Young Theatre School and latterly, Italia Conti.

After performing as young Michael Jackson in the musical Thriller Live and in Billy Elliot, Layton was cast as the lead in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, which is a story about a young drag artist called Jamie Campbell and the struggle he faced trying to embrace his identity while living in a small northern town.

And Williams says he wanted to do the same on Strictly as the character he played and not hold back from being his true self on stage.

He said: ‘I wanted to have fun and be me but in order to do that I needed to be true to exactly how I felt… we would always have discussions at the beginning where we would say what are we giving here because when I go out and about, sometimes I am cutesy and casual in my little fluffy vest but sometimes I am in full glam and you’ll see me on the red carpet and I’ll be doing that and I didn’t want to put that side of me away just because I’m on national TV, I want to celebrate that.’

Williams says the team at the BBC show have enabled him to express himself creatively, with the star wearing a dress on the series, as well as sequins, glitter, and makeup.

He said: ‘If I was feeling like I wanted to be expressive, the Strictly team have been so great… I think it is the first time they’ve had someone that has been so, a male celebrity that has been queer, of course they have had them in the past but someone that has been so flamboyant. They have got behind me.

‘It is the little ripple effect of love that has been spread across the UK… in these times, people are just a little bit grumpy, I’m like cheer up girls, it’s just a cheeky high kick and a flip and a lip so just get into it and that’s my biggest achievement.’

• Strictly Come Dancing: The Final is on Saturday 16th December at 7pm, on BBC One and BBC iPlayer 

Williams says the team at the BBC show have enabled him to express himself creatively, with the star wearing a dress on the series, as well as sequins, glitter, and makeup  

Speaking ahead of the final on Saturday, Williams urged viewers to embrace the show, saying: ‘Cheer up girls, it’s just a cheeky high kick and a flip and a lip so just get into it’ 

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