Strictly finalist Layton Williams has opened up about how he has coped following the backlash over his appearance on the hit BBC show.
Layton, 29, was routinely criticised for starring in the dance competition, with many viewers suggesting it wasn’t fair given his background in dance. Now Layton has revealed just how tough the criticism has been.
He told the Guardian: “The past six months have been testing. Many people could have crumbled under the amount of attention I was getting, and there were moments when I was lying in bed, tears flowing, and thinking, ‘How am I going to be able to manage this?'”
Layton Williams ‘had to believe’ in himself
The Bad Education actor added: “But I got to a point where I had to believe that as long as my family and friends accepted me, that was all that mattered. My childhood also prepared me. I am so used to being scrutinised. I was leading a whole West End company, the star of the show, by the age of 12. Then the TV jobs came along and I was inside the machine.
“It wasn’t like I was Lindsay Lohan, but working in this industry from a very young age gave me a thick skin. I’m now ready for all eventualities.”
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The Strictly backlash
The backlash came after Strictly Come Dancing viewers felt it was unfair that Layton, a trained musical theatre performer, should enter the competition.
At one point, even former Strictly judge Arlene Phillips stepped in and warned trolls to “back off” from the much-maligned star, who danced alongside Nikita Kuzmin.
Still, some viewers complained: “He shouldn’t win, he’s too good!”
Read more: Strictly star Layton Williams confirms he’s teaching dance classes after ‘advantage’ row.
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