Layton Williams' growing bond with Strictly show pro and mystery boyfriend

28 October 2023 , 16:45

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Layton Williams' growing bond with Strictly show pro and mystery boyfriend

Strictly Come Dancing's Layton Williams has been dazzling on the dance floor alongside professional partner Nikita Kuzmin since the BBC show launched in September.

Week in, week out, the West End star has impressed the judges and fans with his smooth moves. Before joining the show, the 29-year-old star gave those fans a rare personal update, teasing his romance with a mystery man.

The star posted a picture on his Instagram of an unnamed man wearing a cap. Layton then posted a second picture with the caption, "yes that was a soft launch. No you ain’t getting his @."

Meanwhile, he's also said to have hit it off as friends with Johannes Radebe, 36, who has been a professional dancer on the show since 2018. Back in September Layton interviewed the dancer for the BAFTAs about his experience of joining the show. An emotional Johannes told him: "I only started dreaming when I got to this country."

Layton with his Strictly partner (Getty Images)

Layton pictured kissing a man

One source said: “Layton and Johannes hit it off from the start. They have a similar sense of humour and seem to really get each other... It’s been great for him to have Johannes’ support behind the scenes. Together they are hilarious, a real whirlwind of fun.”

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Layton is dancing in a same-sex partnership this year, but it was Johannes and partner John Whaite who formed the first male couple back in 2021. Layton was delighted when he learned that he, too, would be dancing with the same sex.

"I’m happy so long as it’s a guy,” he said. “I’ve said I want to dance with a man, I want to be thrown around. Basically, at college I used to always be very jealous of the girls being thrown around I was like ‘I want to be that’. I can’t wait to be flung around and wear some glittery costumes!” He added to the BBC.

And a source said that from the outset, Layton has been determined to do Strictly his way. "Layton made it clear very early on that he didn’t want to be pinned down to just wearing male costumes. He wanted his Strictly outfits to reflect different sides of his personality and everyone fully supports him on that," the insider said.

"So he will have a chance to wear Strictly dresses, as well as the men’s sharp suits, when he performs. There are some really exciting looks in there. Layton can’t wait to get started."

Serena Richards