diy dancer
Inside Strictly star Layton Williams’ very stylish London pad which he renovated on his own
STRICTLY Come Dancing contestant Layton Williams is hoping to tear up the dance floor next month - but he's also been busy tearing up floorboards.
The actor and singer, 28, bought his first home in September last year and has become a dab hand with a drill and hammer while sprucing up his pad.
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Layton's ground floor flat in located in Dulwich, south east London, and he has been busy transforming it since getting his hands on the keys.
In the past year, Layton - who is a West End performer and who has also starred in TV shows Bad Education, Benidorm and I Hate Suzie - has also found himself frequently wandering the aisles of DIY stores.
When he picked up his keys, Layton told his social media followers: "Bury Boy ➡️ Dulwich Diva 🔑.
"And by diva, I mean 'hustler' coz omg... I worked so damn hard for this. People say it's hard but loooordd was I tested.
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"I'm honestly pinching myself, especially in these wild wild times.
"Against the odds, I got my keys yesterday and the homeowner journey begins."
Layton, who is among this year's lineup of Strictly Come Dancing contestants, has set up an Instagram account dedicated to his renovation project.
Over the past 11 months, he has treated his followers to videos and photos of himself installing new radiators, removing dated fitted cupboards and ripping up floorboards.
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The star has also created clever storage systems for his stylish new kitchen and painted his bay window frames with black gloss for an ultra modern look.
Proving his passion for throwing shapes, Layton has even built a wooden bench area in the 'snug' with a sign that reads 'dancing' above it.
Layton explained: "I designed this cute lil snug area for some zen. It's the perfect length for me to lay back, pop my feet on the radiatorand chill."
Going wild for it, one follower replied: "So good when can I move in?!"
Another added: "Looks perfectly perfect."
And a third simply said: "This is lovely."
It was announced last month that Layton will be taking part in this year's Strictly Come Dancing.
However, he was soon hit with criticism due to his extensive experience appearing on stage and screen.
Layton's first job was at the age of twelve playing the title role in Billy Elliot the Musical on London's West End, and he played a young Michael Jackson in Thriller – Live.
He starred in Rent the musical and played the lead in the West End's Everybody's Talking About Jamie. He's also enjoyed a TV career.
Writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, after the line-up was announced, one fan ranted: "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."
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But Layton spotted the comment and was quick to hit back.
He replied: "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".
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