Strictlys Nikita Kuzmin struggles with knee brace as he leaves rehearsals with Layton Williams
Strictly Come Dancing professional Nikita Kuzmin was strapped up with a knee brace after rehearsals on Wednesday.
Pictured leaving the training space with his celebrity dance partner Layton Williams, the 25-year-old's physical condition will be of concern to them heading into the weekend after he reportedly struggled to get into his waiting taxi.
The pair continued their ballroom hot-streak last Saturday by scoring 36 on Halloween Week for an impressive Tango routine. Only Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola could best that with 38.
Despite their supposed frontrunner position in this year's competition, body language expert Darren Stanton predicted that Nikita and Bad Education favourite Layton would only reach the semi-final.
Speaking on behalf of Betfair Slots last month, he shared: "Layton and Nikita are who I predict to come fourth in the competition. We’ve seen Layton develop in his levels of maturity and confidence when putting his trust in Nikita. He’s really come far and turned a corner, and that’s due to Nikita’s belief in what Layton can achieve if he works hard as a team with him.
"A few weeks ago, I did see Nikita flashing signals of frustration, so although it may be hard work at this stage for the two of them, it’s clear they have passion and really care for one another. They have a strong connection and have developed in terms of their chemistry and trust, as it’s clear they have a tight relationship now.
"But I can’t help but notice that Layton’s nerves do creep in from time to time," he caveated.
"I have seen flashes of fear when he is dancing or rehearsing. I think he focuses on impressing the judges, and making it through to the next week, rather than concentrating on the bigger picture and homing in the nervousness. I don’t think they will go further than the semi-final."
While we wait to see whether or not these words crystallise on screen, Layton himself spoke exclusively to OK! on the Pride of Britain Awards red carpet recently; emotionally opening up on the negative comments he's come across concerning his Strictly costumes.
The musical theatre star admitted he finds it "wild" when people take the time to criticise his choices.
"At first I was like, 'Oh it won't affect me'. I just find it wild when people… like really, are you that pressed? It's just a dress."
"I'm actually enjoying it," he added of the Strictly experience as a whole. "Like genuinely just having fun. It's just a vibe isn't it? So [I'm] enjoying it, thinking about the bigger picture, and just keeping it moving."
Layton then told OK! that he was focussing on the "young queens" as opposed to the rude naysayers.
"You've got to think about the percentage of people, and the amount of love that it's spreading. There's tiny pockets around the country, so that's what I'm trying to concentrate on, the young queens out there."
Strictly Come Dancing resumes this Saturday at 7:05pm on BBC One.
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