Strictly Come Dancing's Layton Williams gives 'reminder' after 'overwhelming trolling' following 'professional' backlash

Layton Williams says he has been 'overwhelmed' by trolling as he issued a reminder to people to 'be kind'. The actor is currently taking part in Strictly Come Dancing with professional dance partner Nikita Kuzmin.

The pair wowed judges this week with a quickstep set to the song Puttin’ On The Ritz during the series’ second live show. The impressive routine saw all four of the judges award them nine points and Craig Revel Horwood said the 29-year-old's talent was “ridiculous”.

Following the first elimination, which saw Les Dennis and Nancy Xu leave the competition, Layton and Nikita made it through to next week, which will see the remaining contestants performing movie-themed dances for the panel of judges.

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Ahead of Sunday's show, Layton, who is from Bury, took to Twitter to thank his fans for their messages of support. But he revealed he had also been subjected to trolling which has left him feeling 'overwhelmed'.

The musical theatre star, who played the role of Stephen in BBC Three’s Bad Education, posted a photo of himself in a cosy blue dressing gown holding up a peace sign. He told his followers on the social media platform X: "The messages of love are overwhelming but as is the low key trolling."

Layton added: "I'm just here to have fun like all the other contestants. I'm trying to handle this with a smile and determination to slay another day but reminder #BeKind."

It comes after Layton, who is known for performing in West End shows including Billy Elliot and Hairspray, faced backlash from Strictly viewers who suggested his previous