17 September 2023 , 15:56
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Strictly Come Dancing pro Nikita Kuzmin explained why celebrity partner Layton Williams' past dance experience will not help him on the show as much as some viewers have claimed.
Layton himself addressed comments about his dancing ability after facing "fix claims", with some viewers suggesting he had "an unfair advantage" after being trained in dance. Layton has appeared in the West End, and has studied dance in the past - while he is not trained in a number of dance styles.
That didn't stop some viewers claiming Layton was trained and shouldn't be taking part, something his pro partner Nikita was quick to address during the launch show on Saturday night, after Layton also discussed the matter. Nikita was asked by host Claudia Winkleman whether the past skill would help him or hinder him with training.
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He told her: "Ballroom and Latin are completely different to anything Layton has done so far, the technique, posture and especially to co-ordination is completely different, he has a lot to learn and I can’t wait to teach him."
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Layton also had his say about the pairing, adding: "He is going to whip me into shape, and keep me on the straight and narrow because I do like to think I know what I am doing and do the most, but I really don’t have a clue!" As the show aired, some viewers once again suggested he had "an unfair advantage", while many fans of the show and actor Layton were quick to hit back at this, once again pointing out he is not trained in the dances he will be learning on the show.
Strictly Come Dancing pro Nikita Kuzmin explained why celebrity partner Layton Williams' past dance experience will not help him on the show (BBC/Ray Burmiston)
Layton himself addressed comments (BBC/Ray Burmiston)Viewers were quick to spot signs the pairing could win too, having high hopes for Layton and Nikita. One viewer tweeted: "Layton & Nikita are going to be a force to be reckoned with! I’m sooooo excited for them!" Another said: "i said from the day layton was announced to do strictly a couple months back that he will win strictly. mark my words," as a third added: "Layton is gonna be fantastic on this series can’t wait to see more."
Layton had recently spoken out over his dance background, telling The Mirror and other press: "Of course there's going to be moments that will feel more comfortable being in the rehearsal room and use of dancing. However, I can't stress enough how different [Strictly is]... it's like a plumber trying to be an electrician! It's just not the same and if anything, I'm such a perfectionist with the things that I do, when it comes to stuff that I should potentially be able to do and everyone expects me to be able to do but actually it's just sometimes unlearning.
"I don't really know yet because I've not started but come a couple of weeks, I might be like: 'Oh yeah, you're alright, I'm amazing' or 'actually you know what, can we all just cool down... because I'm not that cute!' I'm excited to learn new things, just throw me into the deep end, let's go." Layton added that he didn't study Latin or ballroom at college, saying: "So it's a whole new world!"
Taking part this year alongside Layton are Zara McDermott, Amanda Abbington, Angela Rippon, Krishnan Guru-Murthy, Eddie Kadi and Angela Scanlon. Also competing are Adam Thomas, Nikita Kanda, Ellie Leach, Jody Cundy CBE, Bobby Brazier, Nigel Harman, Annabel Croft and Les Dennis.
Pro dancers taking to the stage this year will be Dianne Buswell, Nadiya Bychkova, Graziano Di Prima, Karen Hauer, Katya Jones, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Gorka Marquez, Luba Mushtuk, Giovanni Pernice, Jowita Przystal, Johannes Radebe, Kai Widdrington, Nancy Xu, Carlos Gu, Lauren Oakley, Michelle Tsiakkas and Vita Coppola.
Strictly Come Dancing kicks off next Saturday and Sunday on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.