Strictly ex-judge Arlene Phillips' defiant message about Layton Williams

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Strictly Come Dancing legend Dame Arlene Phillips has urged fans to leave Layton Williams alone, following the constant social media vitriol directed at him.

The Bad Education actor will compete in this weekend's grand finale of the ballroom competition with professional partner Nikita Kuzmin - against fellow celebrities Ellie Leach and Bobby Brazier - yet throughout the whole of his Strictly run, Williams has faced public scrutiny for his prior dance experience.

Appearing on ITV talkshow Lorraine today (December 15), Phillips, who judged on the Strictly panel for four years until 2008, was asked to respond to this sad state of affairs.

What, how and why?

"He is absolutely extraordinary, but the most extraordinary thing about him is he is the most wonderful, adorable and positive human being that I have ever come across in dance," she declared, having built up a great rapport with Williams in the past.

Phillips then pointed out how "parallel show" Dancing with the Stars doesn't attract anywhere near the same amount of criticism, should one of its contestants be an experienced dancer. "[It's] had phenomenal dancers and everybody celebrated them," she said. "Here, we're very unhappy about people with dance training.

"The thing is, as a dancer in ballroom and Latin, Layton has found it hard. Naturally, his feet turn in, that doesn't work, and he has worked and worked and worked on it. He doesn't understand a Rumba, [it's] hard for him. But he works absolutely non-stop to find what's needed.

"Yes, he has an advantage. He knows what his body's doing but I think the biggest thing... The winners of Strictly have always had that extra something where they just break through the camera and your TV at home, and just live for dancing.

"The dance training in the end, doesn't make them a winner," the star reiterated. "What makes Layton [a possible winner] is the brilliance in what is created. It's electric. Enjoy what he does, enjoy what he has. Love him for what he can do."

What else happened on Lorraine?

Meanwhile, Lorraine Kelly herself had a few sharp words for the Strictly star's naysayers. "The thing that I find absolutely abhorrent, actually, is you can have the opinion that he's experienced and therefore that gives him a bit of an advantage, but don't be so blinking mean about it!" she stressed. Some of the stuff online is absolutely disgraceful. It's disgusting."

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