Arlene Phillips thinks it will be a "tragedy" if Layton Williams doesn't win 'Strictly Come Dancing'.
Arene Phillips has urged the public to get behind Layton Williams
The 29-year-old actor is in the final of the BBC Latin and ballroom competition with professional partner Nikita Kuzmin alongisde former 'Coronation Street' star Ellie Leach and 'EastEnders' actor Bobby Brazier but has garnered controversy over his dance experience as a performer in West End musicals like 'Billy Elliot' but choreographer Arlene - who served as a judge on the series from 2004 until 2008 - has now urged the public to "get behind" Layton for the sake of his victory.
She told The Daily Mirror newspaper: "Unless the public gets behind Layton, he won’t win, and in many ways, I think that’s a tragedy because yes, he has danced but the force and the personality that Layton puts into it is his own. Don’t pick on Layton. Don’t pile on hate."
Arlene went on to add that Layton taking part in the competition is "no more unfair" than any others with dance experience who have competed over the years
She said: "It’s no more unfair advantage than the other dancers that they’ve had on, such as the Pussycats Ashley Roberts. They’ve had people who have come on before who’ve danced….there was always an anger from certain members of the public that they had danced before.
"There is no one I can think of who comes in with an attitude as positive as Layton’s. Whatever he is working on, nothing gets him down. He brings joy into a room and he is a truly beautiful human being.
"He is one of my favourite all-time people. I have to tell you. Am I biased about Layton? Completely. I want him to win. Because Layton has worked very hard for everything he has and everything he does and I can’t imagine one person I know that has worked with him who hasn’t just fallen in love with who Layton is."
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