Bad Education star Layton Williams has opened up about his dream dance partner ahead of his upcoming Strictly Come Dancing run.
On 4 August, fans of the long-running competition series were finally introduced to the first batch of celebrities vying for the coveted Glitterball Trophy.
One of the new contestants headed to the ballroom floor is openly gay West End star Williams.
“Everybody’s talking about our next #Strictly star. Welcome actor Layton Williams,” the series announced via Twitter.
In a statement to the BBC, Williams expressed his excitement over being part of the “THE most iconic dance competition in the UK.”
“It’s time to bring it to the ballroom. So excited to learn new skills from the best. Bring on the sequins… ALL the sequins, ” the Everybody’s Talking About Jamie star exclaimed.
The 28-year-old superstar gave further insight into his upcoming Strictly journey during an interview with BBC’s The One Show.
“It’s been a real struggle [to keep this a secret], but I’m so excited it’s finally out there, and I can get buzzing about it,” he shared.
Elsewhere in the interview, the I Kissed A Boy narrator revealed that he asked to be paired with a male professional dancer.
“Honestly, truly, I’m happy so long as it’s a guy. I’ve said I want to dance with a man. I want to be flung around,” Williams explained.
“Basically, at college, I was always very jealous of the girls being thrown around and was like, ‘I want to be that!’ So I can’t wait to get flung around and wear some glittery costumes.”
Who’s ready for our third @bbcstrictly celeb? 🙋💫
Tearing up the ballroom in the new series will be…#BadEducation star, @LaytonWilliams! 👏
More reaction live on #TheOneShow 👉 https://t.co/X9LiJN0qs0 pic.twitter.com/dEcCiD7kCG
— BBC The One Show (@BBCTheOneShow) August 4, 2023
Lastly, Williams admitted to being nervous for his Strictly debut due to his lack of experience in ballroom.
“I’m not trained in ballroom or Latin, so I hope I’ll feel confident, but I am pretty nervous!” he added.
In response to the exciting news, fans flocked to Williams’ Instagram account to leave an array of congratulatory comments.
One fan wrote: “SOOOO BLOODY READY FOR THIS.”
Another fan commented: “Can we put Layton with Johannes? Please? That would be an incredible couple!”
While the I Hate Suzie star has received support from the majority of the Strictly fanbase, some viewers have complained that he would have an advantage due to his background in musical theatre.
Williams is set to join the growing list of stars who have competed on the series in a same-sex partnership.
Last season, TV presenter Richie Anderson danced with Giovanni Pernice and British comedian Jayde Adams was partnered with Karen Hauer.
In 2021, British Bake Off star John Whaite and dance pro Johannes Radebe made history when they became the first all-male pairing in the show’s history.
Lastly, double Olympic gold medallist Nicola Adams – who teamed up with professional dancer Katya Jones – made waves as the show’s first same-sex pairing during the show’s 19th season.
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