Strictly viewers shocked as Layton Williams goes from ‘a top to a bottom’

Layton Williams on Week 4 of Strictly Come Dancing

Strictly Come Dancing viewers were in shock over the weekend after watching Layton Williams, as he put it, go from “a top to a bottom.”

Williams has dominated this season of Strictlymuch to the annoyance of certain viewers at home – and come out on top with his dance partner Nikita Kuzmin almost every single week.

But on Sunday night (26 November), the West End performer made an unexpected fall to the bottom two, alongside Angela Scanlon and her partner Carlos Gu.

Layton Williams says he's 'not perfect' after criticism.
Layton Williams is through to the Strictly quarter-finals by the skin of his teeth. (BBC/Ray Burmiston)

Up until this week, Williams’ performances on Strictly have been so good that he has repeatedly broken records. With Kuzmin, the Bad Education star is in one of this season’s highest-scoring couples.

But, as the weeks go on, the competition gets tighter. 

That was Williams’ downfall this week, when he and Kuzmin’s routine to “It’s Oh So Quiet” by Bjork earned just 34 points, their lowest score in seven weeks.

That put the same-sex dance partners in fourth place and up for elimination – to the surprise of viewers.

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After both Williams and Scanlon performed their routines once more, the four judges gave their verdicts.

Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, and Anton du Beke all agreed that Williams’s routine was “the better dance of the night”, and decided to but he and Kuzmin through to the quarter-finals, sending Angela Scanlon home.

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So, Williams will compete in next week’s Musical Week alongside fellow quarter-finalists Nigel Harman, Bobby Brazier, Annabel Croft, and Ellie Leach.

Now that he’s able to breathe a sigh of relief and start getting ready for next week’s fierce competition, Williams has been able to poke some fun at he and Kuzmin’s fall from the top.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the Everybody’s Talking About Jamie star joked: “Not me going from being a top to a bottom! [#Versatile]”

https://twitter.com/LaytonWilliams/status/1728900646676615434

Williams also shared a photo of him and his dance partner after they were saved by the judges, writing: “That was close! SO grateful to be through to Musicals Week! Being in the bottom two has given me a [fire] up my [bum]. Big love to all of our supporters.”

https://twitter.com/LaytonWilliams/status/1728900324013089208

Strictly Come Dancing continues Saturday 2 December at 7.25pm on BBC One.

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