Layton Williams and Nikita Kuzmin both smile
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Strictly star Layton Williams hits back at trolls after securing spot in the final: ‘It’s so draining’

Ex-pro urges bullies to end their 'hatred'

Strictly Come Dancing star Layton Williams has taken aim at the haters following last night’s results show.

Layton and his pro partner Nikita Kuzmin are the highest-scoring dance duo of the 2023 series. They’ve amassed a whopping 469 points in total on the leaderboard – an average of 36.1 a week!

Nonetheless, Layton has come in for abuse online throughout the series, with some detractors claiming the professionally-trained performer in a light entertainment TV dance show is ‘too good’.

Claudia Winkleman speaks with Nikita Kuzmin and Layton Williams
Nikita Kuzmin and Layton Williams avoided the dance-off over the weekend (Credit: BBC iPlayer)

Layton (read his ED! profile here) previously called on trolls to ‘choose joy’ in October. He tweeted at the time: “Instead of coming at me with hateful comments, use your energy to shower your fave celeb with love instead. Pretty sure it will make us all feel much better!”

But now Robin Windsor has also urged the armchair ‘bullies’ to pack it in.

Nikita Kuzmin looks at Strictly star Layton Williams
Nikita Kuzmin and Layton Williams are the highest-scoring couple this series (Credit: BBC iPlayer)

Strictly Come Dancing news: Layton Williams latest

Robin, a Strictly regular between 2010 and 2013, tweeted his concern: “STOP this hatred for @LaytonWilliams. It is BULLYING ffs.

“The poor guy sees all these comments everyone tags him in – how is that supposed to make him feel?”

Robin added: “You should all be ashamed of yourselves. What ever happened to ‘be kind’? #mentalhealth.”

Layton Williams and Nikita Kuzmin look shocked
Layton admitted he finds abuse from Strictly trolls ‘draining’ (Credit: BBC iPlayer)

‘They’ll never dim my shine’

West End star Layton, 29, quote-posted Robin’s words, adding: “Thanks, Robin. Luckily I have thick skin but it’s so draining that so-called ‘Strictly fans’ go out of their way to drag me down to lift others up.

Their fave couples would be SO embarrassed by their comments and so should they.

“Their fave couples would be SO embarrassed by their comments and so should they. They’ll never dim my shine. Big love x.”

Ahead of this coming weekend’s final, Layton and Nikita are second favourites to win behind Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola.

Layton thanked fans for their support as he reacted to sealing a spot in the 2023 finale.

“Overwhelmed and grateful to everyone who voted,” he tweeted. “This Strictly journey has exceeded both our expectations. That semi-final was just magical. Literally everything we hoped and dreamed of. Thanks so much to our supporters. Bring on the final!”

Read more: Layton’s Strictly story would be ‘different’ if he’d ‘immersed himself in Ballroom and Latin dancing’, Brendan Cole says

The Strictly final airs on Saturday, December 16 at 7pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

It Takes Two airs on weekdays on BBC Two, at 6.30pm.

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Robert Leigh
Freelance writer