‘Strictly Come Dancing shake-up is a good thing – for these 2 professionals’-Meghna Amin-Entertainment – Metro

Five pro Strictly dancers are rumoured to be getting axed before the next series (Picture: PA)

Strictly Come Dancing star Layton Williams has thrown his support behind the professional dancers who are rumoured to be leaving the beloved BBC programme.

The Bad Education actor, 30, made it to the final last year with Nikita Kuzmin, ultimately losing out to Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola.

Layton has kept his close bond with Nikita, with the pair having recently reunited for a special tribute show to late dancer Robin Windsor.

And he’s now backed other pros, amid a rumoured Strictly shake-up.

It’s been alleged five established stars are set to get ‘axed’, with reports in The Sun claiming that Neil Jones, Karen Hauer, Nadiya Bychkova, Johannes Radebe and Gorka Marquez are all in the line of fire.

Commenting on the rumours, Layton told Metro: ‘I think a show is always evolving. We never really know what the producers decisions are.

‘And as a performer, I think we all know that when we step into a thing, unfortunately you are self employed, and you never know when your next gig is.

‘But I would like to actually be on the side of the pros. Obviously, the ones that are fab and the ones that are kind and lovely people, they’re becoming their own entities.’

Layton Williams made it to the Strictly final last year with Nikita Kuzmin (Picture: PA)

The theatre star pointed out two pros whose success he’s already predicting, continuing: ‘Look at Jojo. Jojo is a star in their own right. Look at even Gorka, he is a judge on a production of the show in another country [Spain’s Bailando con las Estrellas], like everyone’s got their own things going on.

‘So fly my loves, a show doesn’t define you.’

He went on: ‘We can all make our own path in life, is what I’m trying to say. So axed or not, or walking away… I wish everybody that is a lovely person inside and out well.’

After conquering Strictly, Layton is now taking on a very different challenge – an iceberg.

The star is playing the iconic role for musical Titanique, and has vowed to ‘bring joy’.

Gorka Marquez is a judge on Spain’s version of Strictly (Picture: PA)

Johannes Radebe is one of the rumoured dancers said to be leaving (Picture: PA)

He said: ‘We are in a very crazy world at the moment, and I think everyone just needs a little bit of joy. And Titanic is going to give you that.’

‘My iceberg b***h is basically a mix between Tina Turner and RuPaul. That’s the energy, you better lip sync for your life boat, period,’ he quipped.

In between preparing for Titanique and having just finished a run in Cabaret, Layton also manages to find time to support his Pros From The Shows programme, providing the next generation an insight into West End productions.

The bi-monthly workshops have launched in London, Manchester, Durham and now Norwich and Edinburgh, for children and now for adults.

Layton spoke about his Pros From The Shows programme which has launched in five areas across the country for bi-monthly workshops (Picture: JMEnternational/Getty Images)

‘I actually wanted to set it up so it could be something that, especially in my area, people could fall into,’ Layton said.

‘And I guess the difference that when I was growing up, you didn’t really have people from the shows come into your town to give you these experiences.’

He went on to explain: ‘Basically it’s just an opportunity for people in that area, like-minded young people, to just be surrounded by people that are like them, that love showtunes and love dancing and love singing, love acting, and it could be in a safe space, and it’s kind of no judgment zone.’

Layton added: ‘It’s not just changing these kids’ lives and setting them up for the future. It’s also giving grown people the realization that life is still for living. So it’s really beautiful thing that we can offer. We’re just trying to get the noise out there and let people know about it, because it’s special.’

More information about Pros From The Shows can be found here. Tickets for Titanique are on sale here, with the musical premiering at the Criterion Theatre and running from December 9 to March 2025.

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