Strictly's Layton Williams says he's his own competition being a 'perfectionist'

23 September 2023 , 16:00

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Strictly's Layton Williams says he's his own competition being a 'perfectionist'

For most, scoring well on the Strictly Come Dancing leader board is by far the main incentive for perfecting their dance routine on the BBC ballroom dance show.

But actor Layton Williams, 29, who already has a background in dance, has admitted that his only competition is with himself, as he is a self-confessed perfectionist. When asked who he believes is his biggest competition on the show, he replied: "Myself, because I'm a perfectionist. I know it's a competition, I'm in my lane and everyone else is doing their own journey. So as long as I'm proud of what I've done, and I've made my pro, family and friends proud, that’s all that matters. I want to go out with dignity."

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Layton Williams is known for starring in Bad Education

But this comes with its own challenges as Layton, who is best known for his role in Bad Education, says that he feels the pressure to get the technical moves correct. He added: "I’m a bit of a perfectionist, so getting the moves exactly how the judges want it I’ll find a challenge. I’m kind of ready for the judges to go hard on me and I want to hold myself to a high regard and for my pro to really push me...so just have everything to the best standard as possible....and obviously not falling flat on my face."

Unlike some of his co-stars, Layton has a background in dance as he trained in ballet, jazz and tap. He continued: "I trained in jazz, tap and ballet to a certain degree. I'm absolutely not a ballet dancer, but I've done shows that I’ve had to play characters that are. I did work for Matthew Bourne’s company a good few years ago. So dance is in me, it's a core feeling and I love it and it’s my passion. But this world of Latin and Ballroom is completely new to me, so that's what I'm excited to explore."

But it wasn't that long ago that those with dance experience competing against those who were starting from scratch, sparked a huge debate. Keen to wade in on the matter, head judge Shirley Ballas said that it is unfair to single anyone out, as the Latin and ballroom dances will be a new experience for all involved.

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Last month she told the Mirror: "I think it's very unfair at this point to single out anybody, because most children had a little bit of training. If somebody goes to stage school for singing and acting, there's always normally a little bit of dance included. It might not be their forte. It's nothing like learning ballroom dancing. It's a total discipline all of its own." And it looks as though Layton is not leaving anything to chance as he has been watching previous shows on YouTube, as he is still working 12-hour days on the set of his show Bad Education.

He continued: "Well, right now I'm doing 12-hour days on set for Bad Education so unfortunately, I don't have too much time to prep, but when I do get home, I'm literally watching every performance to get inspiration. I want to be part of the creative process as much as I can be as I’m a creative being. I want make it as magical as possible because you never know whether it's going to be the last time to dance."

Lucretia Munro