Layton Williams has blown us all away with his incredible performances on Strictly Come Dancing over the past few weeks. The theatre star is partnered with Nikita Kuzmin in this year's series, and while viewers have praised their undeniable chemistry on the dance floor, what about Layton's real love life?
Keep reading for all we know about his dating history and "mystery boyfriend"...
Who is Layton Williams?
Layton Williams is an actor and theatre performer from Bury, Greater Manchester.
The 29-year-old, who trained at Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Stephen Carmichael in the BBC comedy series Bad Education, which was revived earlier this year. Viewers may also recognise the star for his role in Sky Atlantic's dark comedy, I Hate Suzie Too.
He's also known for his performances on the West End, including his starring role in Billy Elliot the Musical, which he landed at the age of 12.
More recently, he played the titular character in Everybody's Talking About Jamie, which ran from January 2019 until May 2022.
Layton Williams' love life and relationship history
Layton likes to keep his relationships out of the spotlight, so not much is known about his love life.
However, it is thought that the star is currently dating someone. Earlier this year, Layton took to his Instagram Story with a photo of a mystery man wearing a cap, dropping a heart emoji in the caption.
Alongside a second photo, he wrote: "Yes that was a soft launch. No you ain't getting his @."
Since then, Layton has kept tight-lipped about his romantic life, so the identity of his rumoured boyfriend remains unknown.
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What has Layton Williams said about joining Strictly?
After being announced as part of the 2023 line-up, Layton expressed his excitement: "I've always been amazed by the magic Strictly Come Dancing brings. No matter what country I have found myself living in, I've never missed a chance to watch it.
"Joining it as a professional dancer is my big chance to make some magic on the most famous dance floor. I can't wait to give it my all," he added.
Reacting to his Strictly pairing, Layton admitted that he didn't expect to be partnered with Nikita. "I was a little surprised, just because I didn't think I was gonna be with Nikita," he told the PA news agency.
"But I feel like, even over the last few days, we've spent so much time together this week, we're raring to go."
Layton Williams' Strictly journey so far
Layton has consistently received high scores from the judges, and even topped the leaderboard with the first nines of the series in the second week of the competition. Here are all of his scores so far:
Week One: Samba (7+8+7+7) = 29
Week Two: Quickstep (9+9+9+9) = 36
Week Three: Viennese Waltz (7+7+7+7) = 28
Week Four: Cha Cha (9+10+9+9) = 37
Week Five: Salsa (9+10+10+10) = 39