BBC Strictly's Layton Williams dealt blow as star 'to miss out on final', claims pro
EXCLUSIVE: Former Strictly Come Dancing star Brenda Cole has opened up about the latest series and who he think could win.
Strictly’s Layton Williams addresses ‘unfair’ trained dancer backlash
Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk on behalf of Sky Bingo, Brendan Cole said the Strictly Come Dancing "final be very interesting" as he believes the 2023 series is not "going to be won by the best dancer."
At the moment, the bookies' clear frontrunner is Layton Williams and his dance partner Nikita Kuzmin.
The duo have impressed the judges week after week and even topped the leaderboard on Saturday night.
However, as the show draws closer to the final, dance pro Brendan has shared his thoughts on who will be lifting the Glitterball Trophy this year,
"I think it's going to be the one that the show creates warmth around, which the show has the possibility to do with the VTs and the production that they put into the couples," Brendan began.
"Layton [Williams] is the most accomplished performer, but I'd say he'd be really hard-pressed to win it.
"Having previous dance experience can often go against a contestant, I know that first-hand from doing Dancing On Ice but time will tell.
"He’s still going to do some spectacular numbers. The Tango was very clever, it looked great.
"Technically it could have been better but as a spectacle, it was quite something, but I’m not sure he's going to win it."
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Brendan went on to comment on the judges' feedback as he claimed the panel "seem to really like Ellie Leach".
However, the professional dancer admitted he didn't agree with them, explaining their previous Salsa wasn't "the best I've ever seen".
Brendan added: "He (Vito Coppola) flies around like he’s on fire, he’s very exciting and dynamic to watch, but he’s got to be careful with that because that can make your celebrity partner look slower, he might have to rein it back a little bit.
"But the judges like it and the audience clearly liking it, so they'll probably be there at the end because they're getting really high scores. "
On Sunday night, another couple will be sent home after performing in the dreaded dance-off.
According to the bookmakers' latest odds, Angela Rippon and Kai Widdrington are most at risk of leaving the competition.
Angela and her dance partner did land at the bottom of the leaderboard last night with 28 points - but have they done enough to stay on the show?
Strictly Come Dancing returns on Saturday at 6.05pm on BBC One.
