All the facts about Layton Williams as queer Bad Education star appears on Who Do You Think You Are
Everything you need to know about Layton Williams as he appears on Who Do You Think You Are (Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/Getty Images)
Everything you need to know about Layton Williams as he appears on Who Do You Think You Are (Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/Getty Images)
Bad Education star (and all-round gay icon) Layton Williams is set to star in the BBC series Who Do You Think You Are? exploring his heritage in the UK and Jamaica.
The actor and West End star – who recently won an Oliver award for his iconic role as the iceberg in the new musical Titaníque – appeared on the show to discuss his roots, explaining that it was “beautiful” to find out his ancestors “walked on these streets” where he lives and works in London.
The actor discovered family ties stretching across London, also dealing with the “heavy” realisation while in Jamaica that his three-times great-grandmother and her family were enslaved from Africa.
“The history of slavery isn’t something to take lightly,” he explained. “Arriving there it really hit me, I thought to myself, ‘woah this is gonna be quite a tough week’, and it was.
“By the end of it, I remember just sitting on the beach and pretty much breaking down, because I was so proud of coming from such a powerful, strong, beautiful Black family. I remember thinking, ‘they did that and they made it through, against all the odds’.
“It’s definitely given me a spring in my step. If they can do it, I can achieve anything, you know?
So, ahead of his appearance on Who Do You Think You Are? here’s everything you need to know about Layton Williams, including his career highlights, what he’s said about being part of the LGBTQ+ community, and whether he has a boyfriend.
How did Layton Williams become famous?
Williams first became famous for his theatre roles as a child, before breaking into film and TV.
His first role was in the stage musical Billy Elliot at the age of 12, and he has since continued to slay on the West End, starring in Hairspray, Rent, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, and in the iconic role of the emcee in Cabaret, before earning an Olivier award as the iceberg in Titaníque.
In TV and film, he is also known for roles in Beautiful People, Bad Education, and I Hate Suzie, before performing on series 21 of Strictly Come Dancing – where he made it to the finals.
As well as his prestigious career in some of the most beloved musicals, he is also a supporter of the charities Stonewall and Ditch the Label.
When did Layton Williams come out?
In a 2017 interview with Attitude, Williams explained that had come to terms with his sexuality while performing in Billy Elliot on the West End, which he made his debut in at the age of 12.
Explaining that many of the young cast members were “coming to terms with our sexuality”, he told the magazine: “We were in such a good place to just really explore and be who we wanted to be – compared to my school at home, where there was maybe one person who was out.
“I actually envy not coming out properly at school though because I think I should have just been proud to be me, but obviously it wasn’t the time.”
He explained that he came out to his parents while he was at school, and that his dad had “a sit down conversation with me telling me to be careful in Jamaica.”
What has Layton said about being gay?
Williams has been very open about being gay and supporting the LGBTQ+ community, both explaining his own coming-out journey, and speaking out about horrific issues like anti-LGBTQ+ hate crime.
Speaking about his childhood, he told i News: “I was loved but I was living a double life. That’s normal for a queer kid, you never feel comfortable being 100 per cent yourself. That’s why I’m so out of the box now.
“That’s why gay people are so iconic – we spent so long pretending to be someone else that when we can be authentically ourselves there’s no holding us back.”
He added in a separate interview with Yahoo that it is a “scary time” for queer people, and that while he wouldn’t “label myself too much as an activist”, he hopes he can “inspire people to hopefully be themselves” by being his authentic self in his work.
“Activism’s important, marching the streets is important, but then smaller things as well are also important – just to see two boys together, happy, having fun as friends, platonic love, all of it, all of it’s important to show,” he explained.
Does Layton have a husband or boyfriend?
Williams is a little more on the private side when it comes to his personal life, so while he “hard-launched” his boyfriend in November 2023, it’s not clear whether the two are still together.
Writing on Instagram stories after posting photos of his boyfriend for the first time, Williams explained that the two had met at Glastonbury festival.
Is Layton on Instagram?
Yes indeed, Layton Williams is active on Instagram, where he has a whopping 239,000 followers. He also posts regularly on TikTok.
Who Do You Think You Are? starring Layton Williams will be available to watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Monday (12 May) at 9am.
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