Gene Kelly's Widow Hails Layton Williams' Charleston
Gene Kelly's widow, Patricia Ward Kelly, has praised Layton Williams' recreation of the Tinseltown tap icon's Charleston on Strictly Come Dancing. Williams, known for his role in Bad Education, and his pro partner Nikita Kuzmin received a perfect score of 40 for their rendition of Gene and Donald O'Connor's jig to "Fit As A Fiddle" on Saturday night.
High Praise for Williams and Kuzmin
In a Facebook post, Patricia Ward Kelly shared a photo of the nostalgic number and commended the pair, saying, "A lovely nod to Gene and Donald by Layton and Nikita with their Charleston on Strictly Come Dancing. Gene always said 'Don't imitate me. Take what I did and go beyond.' I think these two mastered that."
Series Finale and Odds
Williams and Kuzmin will be competing in the Strictly Come Dancing series finale on Saturday. Despite the high praise, they are currently second favorites to win with odds of 8/1. Former Coronation Street star Ellie Leach is the frontrunner with odds of 1/9, followed by Bobby Brazier at 12/1.
Backlash and Bullying
Williams recently faced backlash and bullying from fans regarding his level of dance experience. The West End star, who has appeared in productions such as Everybody's Talking About Jamie and Billy Elliott, received hateful messages since joining the show. Some viewers have accused the BBC of fixing the competition due to Williams' theater background. In response, Williams took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to address the issue and condemn the bullying, urging fans to be kind.
