Strictly's Layton Williams set to make history in a big first for the show

According to reports by The Mirror, Layton Williams will be the first male contestant on the show to be able to take to the dance floor in a dress, as well as hoping to wow audiences in a suit.

According to a source (via The Mirror): "Layton made it clear very early on that he didn’t want to be pinned down to just wearing male costumes.

"He wanted his Strictly outfits to reflect different sides of his personality and everyone fully supports him on that. So he will have a chance to wear Strictly dresses, as well as the men’s sharp suits, when he performs. There are some really exciting looks in there. Layton can’t wait to get started.”

A spokesperson for Strictly declined to comment on the story when approached by RadioTimes.com. They did say that, "we want all contestants to be comfortable with what they wear on the ballroom floor".

If the reports are true, the defining Strictly costume decision would follow on from Williams's previous comments made about wearing dresses and heels.

He had said about his lead role in Everybody's Talking About Jamie: "I was looking at pictures of myself on the red carpet from the Jamie movie premiere and I thought, ‘Hmm, would I, as Layton, have felt comfortable wearing a gown to a premiere if I hadn’t explored my sense of self?’ I’ve always ­wanted to rock the heels, the gowns, the dress… and now I just love it."

More recently, Williams has teased fans with snippets of information about his forthcoming appearance on this season of Strictly, talking about the "glitz" and "glamour" of the pre-show process so far, but also confirming that he will "100% be paired up with a man".

Previously, Williams also took to his Twitter (which has recently rebranded to X) to quell rumours about his West End experience giving the actor an unfair advantage in Strictly Come Dancing.

Williams was the third contestant confirmed in this year's line-up and has performed in West End productions like Billy Elliot and Everybody's Talking About Jamie.

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One Strictly fan said previously on Twitter: "not a dance expert as such but I am a dancer and know for a fact he will have studied ballroom and/or latin to some degree."

Williams quote-Tweeted the statement, saying: "Lemme clear up this *fact* real quick. I had my 1st introduction to Ballroom & Latin class in rehearsals yesterday (along with the rest of the @bbcstrictly cast) and it was so much fun xxx"

Williams joins a star-studded line-up that includes the likes of Les Dennis and Ellie Leach, as well as Love Island star Zara McDermott, comedian Eddie Kadi, newsreader Angela Rippon and Paralympian cyclist Jody Cundy CBE, to name a few.

On his Strictly announcement, Williams said in a statement: "Absolutely buzzing to confirm that I will be taking part in THE most iconic dance competition in the UK! It's time to bring it to the Ballroom.

"So excited to learn new skills from the best. Bring on the sequins… ALL the sequins!"

Strictly Come Dancing 2023 is coming soon to BBC One and iPlayer. Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.

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