Strictly: Can Layton Williams escape the 'quarter-final curse' after his perfect 40?
Will Layton Williams be able to win the BBC competition?
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Strictly Come Dancing's Layton Williams got a perfect 40 score on Saturday but it may not be enough to win the final, according to one betting company.
After doing a deep dive into the quarter-finals, William Hill Vegas revealed none of the previous nine contestants who have claimed the top spot in the quarter-finals have won the Glitter Ball trophy.
It found there have been seven seasons where contestants who received the biggest or biggest joint score in the quarter-finals who then narrowly lost out in the competition.
The Wanted singer Jay McGuinness was the last person to top the leaderboard in the 11th week before going onto win the show in 2015.
Last year Will Mellor and Helen Skelton wowed judges in the quarter-finals, getting an impressive almost perfect score of 39 out of 40.
However, both of them were out of the competition in the semi-finals - falling at the final hurdle.
Strictly's 'quarter-finals curse'
If history repeats itself, this could mean Williams may lose out on the Glitter Ball trophy - unless he is able to break the trend of the past seven seasons.
His Moulin Rouge! Paso Doble got him the first 40 of the series.
William Hill spokesperson Lee Phelps said: "As the glitz and glamour of Strictly Come Dancing continues to grace our screens, a curious pattern has emerged over recent years concerning the quarter-final stage of the show, casting a shadow of uncertainty on contestants who dominate the leaderboard at this part of the competition.
"In a surprising turn of events, our research has shown that none of the previous nine contestants who claimed the top score in the quarter-finals have gone on to secure the coveted Glitterball Trophy, giving rise to what we now dub as the 'Quarter-Final Curse'."
"Curiously, the dancer who excels in this crucial round often finds themselves falling short of clinching the ultimate prize, so last week’s top point-scorer and current market favourite Ellie Leach (1/4) may have no regrets should one of her rivals trump her tally for this weekend’s quarter-finals."
It was a week of serious drama after Nigel Harman had no choice but to quit the competition.
The EastEnders actor had suffered an injury and now cannot compete but plans to return to the final.
Layton Williams hits back at trolls
Williams shared his delight at getting the perfect 10 at the weekend.
Having come back fighting from the dance off, Williams credited his dance partner Nikita for their success.
He said: "10's across the board! Fighting back from the bottom 2 is rough but what a perfect routine for it. All credit has to go to the most amazing dance partner & teacher ever - Nikita! Think what you want about me, but give him his flowers plz."
His appearance on Strictly hasn't been without controversy from viewers as he previously has performed on the West End.
After this weekend's success, the actor addressed the hate messages that he has received over his previous dance experience.
He added: "Reading all these comments really gave me the boost to go out there and slay for the stageys, theatre fans & MT industry!
"I've been flying the flag for us all since day dot and hope I'm doing ya'll proud. All these memories warmed my heart. Here's to making more soon."
What the judges said
Getting 40 out of 40, of course the judging panel were blown away by Williams' performance.
Motsi Mabuse told them: "This is how you come back from a dance off. All of this negativity that you have been receiving...coming back week on week, never losing yourself...you were stunning."
Shirley Ballas added: "Absolutely first class team work," as she praised them for being perfectly in sync.
Anton Du Beke called it "the best thing you've done on the series so far".
