Layton Williams has said there was 'no way' as he addressed his stint on
Strictly Come Dancing amid repeated backlash. The
Actor has been going from strength to strength in the
BBC One dance contest, consistently wowing the judges and viewers watching at home. Last weekend, Layton and his professional dance partner Nikita Kuzmin just missed out on topping the leaderboard after being pipped to the position by Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola as the competition reached the halfway mark. Opening last Saturday's show (November 4), Bury-born Layton delivered quick footwork, a pirouette and an aerial cartwheel to secure a score of 36 – the highest-scoring jive of the series so far. Donning a matching glitzy costume with his partner Nikita, they performed to Shake Your Body by SHY FX & T Power featuring Di. READ MORE: BBC Strictly Come Dancing fans say what Angela Rippon 'needs' as co-star dealt blow ahead of Saturday's show READ MORE: Read more of today's top stories from the Manchester Evening News And they'll be hoping to impress again on Saturday night (November 10) with the chance to make it through to the famous Blackpool week now in the eight remaining couples' grasp. Aside from the competition. Layton has shared how he hopes his appearance on the show has "spread a little bit of light". The West End star, 29, said of his journey on Strictly so far: "I just hope that it’s kind of spread a little bit of light, like a ripple effect throughout the country, you don’t realise how much representation is important. "It could just be a little conversation about how boys like me, what I’m wearing, if that’s how I feel comfortable, and that’s how I want to present in that moment, then that’s fine. And if a child hears parents talking about that openly and candidly and positively, then that’s going to make them feel seen. "It really is not something that I thought was going to happen necessarily. I just thought I was coming on the show to dance and have fun. But it just feels so much more special now because you’re kind of doing more than dancing … you’ll open up people’s hearts." (Image: PA) Having previously performed on London’s West End in shows such as Billy Elliot and Everyone’s Talking About Jamie, the stage star has faced criticism for his theatre background. But he said: "Being a part of Strictly is such an honour, it’s such an amazing opportunity. So there was no way that I was going to be declining the offer. "So when I said yes, obviously, I was like, oh, I hope that people are going to be excited that I’m on the show. And on the majority, absolutely, people have been buzzing but, online, you get the trolls here and there, and it has been a little bit relentless sometimes. "But I think I’m just trying to think of the bigger picture and think of the gorgeous messages that I’ve had from parents, teachers, young people that have like seen themselves in us …" Layton, who alongside Nikita is part of the 2023 series' only same-sex dance couple, said he tries not to look "too much" at the negativity online, adding that he has been “much better” at not looking. He said: "At first I was like, a little bit like, oh my god, everyone’s following me … all these comments, and I’d read them and like they’d be the awful ones and I’d be like oh gosh, you can’t really unsee it, but in them moments of low, I just remind myself that you know, even
Beyonce has haters …"