This weekend, Strictly Come Dancing will come to its grand finale after 12 weeks of competition. Bobby Brazier and Dianne Buswell will face off against Ellie Leech and Vito Coppola as well as Layton Williams and Nikita Kuzmin, all with hopes of lifting the Glitterball Trophy. And while betting odds have Ellie most likely to steal the win, we think Layton William’s deserves a special shout-out too.
The 29-year-old West End star has consistently received top scores throughout his time on Strictly, proving himself time and time again despite constant trolling from viewers. According to some, Layton Williams' theatre background has given him an unfair advantage in the competition – and they’re not shy about telling him so on social media. To be clear, Layton was never professionally trained in ballroom dancing (or he wouldn’t be eligible for the show), and countless other singers and dancers have appeared on the show before without receiving this level of vitriol.
Recently, Layton opened up about how the trolling has impacted him emotionally. ‘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,’ he said on Twitter. ‘Their fave couples would be SO embarrassed by their comments and so should they.’
Now, many are calling out the backlash, questioning whether much of the hatred could be rooted in homophobia and racism. ‘There have been many celebs with dance experience over the years, some like Ashley Roberts and Debbie McGee got a lot of criticism, but I've never seen anything like the hate Layton gets,’ one viewer commented on Twitter. ‘It's 100% thinly veiled homophobia and racism. No doubt about it.’
It's impressive then that Layton has continued to shine on Strictly each week, but he shouldn’t have to overcome such discrimination just because he has a public platform. Layton should be able to appear on Strictly without fear of discriminatory trolling. There is though, power in his success. Whether or not Layton wins this weekend, his unfailing ability to perform and maintain such an authentic sense of self throughout is inspiring. In fact, Layton himself has even received messages from viewers with young children who feel he is the ideal role model.
Viewer Nathan Higham-Grady agrees. 'As a 44-year-old gay man who had very few out people to look up to on TV as a child, I can't imagine how amazing it must be for any young gay kids watching Layton every week,' he tells Grazia. 'The fact that he has defied online trolls and continued to play around with gender norms: wearing dresses, wigs and showing such chemistry with his male dance partner on primetime TV has been a real inspiration. It's heartening that the public discourse has moved on from the conversation surrounding same-sex couples dancing together and in the main embraced Layton's overt representation of queerness without barely batting an eyelid.'
For friends of Layton, like TV presenter AJ Odudu, watching him succeed has been rewarding too. ‘I know first-hand that Strictly Come Dancing is one of the most challenging shows both on and off the ballroom floor, so watching Layton shine as his fabulous authentic self week after week has been a pure joy to watch,’ AJ told Grazia. ‘It’s a true testament to his hard work, grit, and determination. I have no doubt that he’s an inspiration to all and particularly young queer people and with or without a glitter ball, Layton is already my winner.’
Frankly, we agree – whether he lifts the trophy or not, Layton can be proud of the mark he’s made on Strictly.