Strictly star Layton Williams hits back at claims he's a trained dancer

Now that this year's celebrities have been announced and have started their training regimes, excitement is building ahead of the 2023 series of hit BBC entertainment show Strictly Come Dancing, but one famous face has already been under scrutiny.

28-year-old actor Layton Williams, who was the one of the first names announced for the upcoming series, has been accused of being a trained dancer with experience in both Ballroom and Latin.

As well as appearing as Stephen Carmichael in popular series Bad Education, Layton has starred in a number of West End musicals, including Billy Elliot, Thriller Live, and most recently playing the lead role of Jamie New in Everybody's Talking About Jamie.

However, despite Layton's impressive CV, the actor has now hit back at reports he's trained in Ballroom and Latin dancing.

When a fan of the show tweeted: 'Not a dance expert as such but I am a dancer and know for a fact he will have studied ballroom and/or Latin to some degree', Layton hit back saying: 'Lemme clear up this fact real quick. I had my 1st introduction to Ballroom & Latin class in rehearsals yesterday (along with the rest of the @bbcstrictly cast) and it was so much fun xxx'. (sic)

Although this year's celebs are now in full training ahead of the new series, bosses are yet to unveil which professional dancers they have been paired with.

As well as Layton, 14 other famous faces have signed up for the show, including former EastEnders actor Nigel Harman, Love Island star Zara McDermott, actor and comedian Les Dennis, and original Come Dancing host Angela Rippon.

Check out the full Strictly 2023 line-up below:

Strictly Come Dancing is due to launch on BBC One in September.

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