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Original poster

Layton Williams in Strictly

337 replies

Char65 · 05/11/2023 19:23

I am a big fan of Strictly but I have lost interest in it this year because of Layton Williams as he is a professional dance. His CV reads

2007–2008: Billy Elliot the Musical
2008–2009: Beautiful People
2016: Hairspray the Musical UK Tour - playing Duane
2016-2017: Rent UK Tour - playing Angel
2017-2018: Hairspray the Musical UK Tour - playing Seaweed J. Stubbs
2018-2019: Kiss Me Kate - playing Bill Calhoun/Luciento
2019-2022: Everyone's Talking About Jamie - playing Jamie New

He was also in a Michael Jackson show - and I believe Jackson could dance a bit!

To me its no fair to pitch a pro against amateurs though I accept a lot of actors have also done dance at stage school but not appeared in the West End like this guy! What do others think?

OP posts:
PTSDBarbiegirl · 12/11/2023 09:35

I think Layton is there to make the other trained dancers look less trained, Nigel, Angela S, Ellie. The BBC seem to want to position Ellie to win and then have her as the new face of something on the BBC as a northern everywoman type.

BBC offered the gig to Layton so he should win as its a competition and he's the stand out talent by a stratospheric mile! Let's ditch some of the judges instead.

WatchOutMissMarpleIsAbout · 12/11/2023 09:39

Shirley can be the first judge to go.
Motsi just spouts drivel half the time.
Craig can have valid criticism
I like Anton as a judge but not as a dancer.

MavisMcMinty · 12/11/2023 12:21

The year Rose and Giovanni won Strictly, I pointed out to my sister how diverse the final was - black woman (AJ), gay man (John), deaf woman (Rose) - and she hadn’t even noticed. Made me feel like a bigot for being aware of it!

MavisMcMinty · 12/11/2023 12:39

I infinitely prefer all the current judges to bloody Bruno Tonioli! I know Anton sometimes (increasingly?) goes a bit Bruno, but yes, he’s so much better as a judge than a pro dancer.

TheAverageJoanne · 12/11/2023 12:59

MavisMcMinty · 12/11/2023 12:21

The year Rose and Giovanni won Strictly, I pointed out to my sister how diverse the final was - black woman (AJ), gay man (John), deaf woman (Rose) - and she hadn’t even noticed. Made me feel like a bigot for being aware of it!

Kai was the only person in the final who was straight, white, British and had no disability. Not that they danced as AJ was injured but you get what I mean.

TheAverageJoanne · 12/11/2023 13:03

CroccyWoccy · 11/11/2023 23:07

I just love the fact that there’s a gay, camp, gender non-conforming black man in a same sex pairing on prime time Saturday night TV and the only controversy is he’s too good at dancing

Theoretically he's a gay, camp, gender non-conforming biracial man in a same sex pairing.

They're an excellent partnership. Nikita doesn't have to dial it down to accommodate the limits of his partner which makes them fabulously entertaining.

Winnipeggy · 12/11/2023 13:11

I thought the choice of music was awful. No way was it suitable for a tango and I found it very distracting to watch a dance which did not fit the music

You are insane, it was perfect. I'm not even a massive fan but I watched it 3 times, it was exhilarating. The song couldn't have been better.

LavendersBlueeee · 12/11/2023 13:13

I don’t blame him for taking part and doing his best, but I do blame the show for inviting him on in the first place.

Winnipeggy · 12/11/2023 13:31

LavendersBlueeee · 12/11/2023 13:13

I don’t blame him for taking part and doing his best, but I do blame the show for inviting him on in the first place.

I am so glad they invited him on, him and Nikita together are magical

mydogisthebest · 12/11/2023 13:38

Winnipeggy · 12/11/2023 13:11

I thought the choice of music was awful. No way was it suitable for a tango and I found it very distracting to watch a dance which did not fit the music

You are insane, it was perfect. I'm not even a massive fan but I watched it 3 times, it was exhilarating. The song couldn't have been better.

I loved the dance but no way was that tango music. The steps didn't even seem to fit the music and even DH commented on that. Why can't they use proper tango music rather than some awful song?

I watched it during the show and then once more with no sound. Much better with no sound

SoupDragon · 12/11/2023 13:41

PTSDBarbiegirl · 12/11/2023 09:35

I think Layton is there to make the other trained dancers look less trained, Nigel, Angela S, Ellie. The BBC seem to want to position Ellie to win and then have her as the new face of something on the BBC as a northern everywoman type.

BBC offered the gig to Layton so he should win as its a competition and he's the stand out talent by a stratospheric mile! Let's ditch some of the judges instead.

It isn't a dance Competition though. It's a popularity competition with dancing. Even the voting makes that clear, asking you to vote for your "favourite couple" or "who you want to see next week". It doesn't ask you to vote for the best dancer.

NotGoingToLie · 12/11/2023 18:05

Still can’t bear him, regardless of how many boxes he ticks. Couldn’t care less about his sexuality or racial origins, the fact that he is a professional dancer grates.

Trina90 · 12/11/2023 18:06

Winnipeggy · 12/11/2023 13:11

I thought the choice of music was awful. No way was it suitable for a tango and I found it very distracting to watch a dance which did not fit the music

You are insane, it was perfect. I'm not even a massive fan but I watched it 3 times, it was exhilarating. The song couldn't have been better.

I thought a trancey Eurovision winner was absolutely perfect and so fresh and modern to complement two men doing an Argentine tango in suits.

bombastix · 12/11/2023 18:37

NotGoingToLie · 12/11/2023 18:05

Still can’t bear him, regardless of how many boxes he ticks. Couldn’t care less about his sexuality or racial origins, the fact that he is a professional dancer grates.

Yes it is massively annoying. He is very talented but so he should be. It's not a reasonable thing to have done. The spirit should be amateurs learning. He isn't that.

Original poster
Char65 · 12/11/2023 18:42

yesterday you could not tell the difference between Layton and his partner - they were what they are - two PROFESSIONALS. Anton said "you'd pay good money to see that" and of course people DO - when he appears on the west end! If it is a personality contest or a bit of harmless fun and not a competition why do the judges get so annoyed when bad dancers like Widdicombe and Sergeant are voted in by the public at the expense of good dancers and why do they make comments like "I can't believe you're in the bottom two" - if its about that's then anyone, no matter where they are on the leader board can be in the bottom 2.

OP posts:
MavisMcMinty · 12/11/2023 19:11

Char65 · 12/11/2023 18:42

yesterday you could not tell the difference between Layton and his partner - they were what they are - two PROFESSIONALS. Anton said "you'd pay good money to see that" and of course people DO - when he appears on the west end! If it is a personality contest or a bit of harmless fun and not a competition why do the judges get so annoyed when bad dancers like Widdicombe and Sergeant are voted in by the public at the expense of good dancers and why do they make comments like "I can't believe you're in the bottom two" - if its about that's then anyone, no matter where they are on the leader board can be in the bottom 2.

Oh absolutely, it’s maddening when the judges pretend they can’t understand why [excellent dancer] is in the dance-off when they must know it’s because we - the voters - KNOW that [excellent dancer] will be saved. Same when the contestants pretend they don’t understand why they’re in the bottom two “when I’ve tried so hard”. It isn’t about who tries the hardest!

Angrycat2768 · 12/11/2023 20:08

MavisMcMinty · 12/11/2023 19:11

Oh absolutely, it’s maddening when the judges pretend they can’t understand why [excellent dancer] is in the dance-off when they must know it’s because we - the voters - KNOW that [excellent dancer] will be saved. Same when the contestants pretend they don’t understand why they’re in the bottom two “when I’ve tried so hard”. It isn’t about who tries the hardest!

Show quote history

Agree. And they are basically highlighting loudly to some luvvy that the public didn't vote for them! Hardly goingvtobfontheir egos much good!

Winnipeggy · 12/11/2023 20:45

NotGoingToLie · 12/11/2023 18:05

Still can’t bear him, regardless of how many boxes he ticks. Couldn’t care less about his sexuality or racial origins, the fact that he is a professional dancer grates.

Can't you see that to say you 'can't bear' someone because you perceive them to be a professional dancer is absolutely bonkers? Is it just in the parameters of the show that you feel this way? Can you not stand him on other things? Do you hate all professional dancers?!! I can't quite comprehend the level of animosity, if it's not based on anything other than how good at dancing he is - can't you see how ridiculous that is?

Onethingatatime23 · 13/11/2023 03:05

Winnipeggy · 12/11/2023 20:45

Can't you see that to say you 'can't bear' someone because you perceive them to be a professional dancer is absolutely bonkers? Is it just in the parameters of the show that you feel this way? Can you not stand him on other things? Do you hate all professional dancers?!! I can't quite comprehend the level of animosity, if it's not based on anything other than how good at dancing he is - can't you see how ridiculous that is?

Show quote history

Surely anyone who has watched the programme for even a tiny bit of the nearly 20 years it has been on wouldn't be posting that. While they've always had one or two contestants per series who have danced on stage before, they've never had anyone on before who makes their living from dancing. Except as a pro or judge. Clearly the animosity is not for all professional dancers or the show would be a difficult watch! 😆

RedRiverShore4 · 13/11/2023 04:36

NotGoingToLie · 12/11/2023 18:05

Still can’t bear him, regardless of how many boxes he ticks. Couldn’t care less about his sexuality or racial origins, the fact that he is a professional dancer grates.

Do you know him then as you can't bear him, are you normally like this.

SandandSky · 13/11/2023 06:11

I really look forward to watching him every week.

I saw him in Matthew Bourne’s Lord of the Flies and he was incredible to watch IRL.

FWIW I agree that he does have some advantage because he is a dancer however I was a west end dancer and tried my hand at Latin… I didn’t do well. The fundamentals are very strict and it can be hard to “unlearn” other stuff you know. So he won’t just be having an easy time of it.

they have to have some variety because if everyone was a no experience dancer (many of them will have a little experience from drama school, even if they are only on emmerdale or something now) , then it would be boring!

SandandSky · 13/11/2023 06:12

He won’t win anyway because people love an underdog. My bet is Ellie will win.

SandandSky · 13/11/2023 06:15

Trina90 · 12/11/2023 18:06

I thought a trancey Eurovision winner was absolutely perfect and so fresh and modern to complement two men doing an Argentine tango in suits.

Show quote history

I too am in the “it was perfect and they should have got four 10s” camp

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 13/11/2023 07:27

SandandSky · 13/11/2023 06:15

I too am in the “it was perfect and they should have got four 10s” camp

Show quote history

Yes I agree it was amazing and totally worthy of four tens. It’s not going to be he exact “traditional” / technical version of any dance when it’s two men for a start. What I love about it is that the dances have to change for this.

I also don’t think he’ll win as he is too good - he started off too good - but as Anton said you’d pay good money to watch him.

I also think Ellie will win.

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 13/11/2023 07:28

I thought the fact they had the exact same suit on (bar a few accessories) and mirrored each other a lot of the time was mesmerising