EastEnders star Rose Ayling-Ellis has swapped the greys of Albert Square for sequins and glamour, having joined this year's Strictly Come Dancing line-up.
Having been partnered with professional dancer Giovanni Pernice, Rose is one of the contestants competing in this year's series, which launched last Saturday (September 18) and will see the celebrities perform for the first time tonight (September 25).
But while EastEnders fans will know all about the talented actress by now, those who don't follow the BBC soap may well be wondering who she is. Here are some quick facts to bring you up to speed.
Rose Ayling-Ellis' EastEnders role – who does she play?
Rose plays Frankie on the BBC soap, the daughter of Mick Carter. She was EastEnders' first ever deaf actress to play a deaf character.
EastEnders viewers were briefly introduced to Frankie, who was born deaf, in May 2020 amid Ben Mitchell's hearing loss storyline. They struck up a friendship, as Frankie supported Ben through his emotional struggles and urged him not to give up on life because of his hearing loss.
Speaking about joining the show at the time, Rose said: "I am so excited to be joining the cast of EastEnders and I am equally proud to be one of the first deaf actresses to be part of this iconic soap. I can't wait for everyone to meet Frankie!"
Frankie was then reintroduced in September 2020, when EastEnders returned following its pandemic-induced hiatus. This time, though, it became clear that Frankie had a stronger connection to a certain family on the Square than anyone had realised. Before long, Frankie was revealed to be Mick's long-lost daughter. He had been sexually abused as a child by her mum Katy Lewis. Frankie supported Mick as Katy was sent to prison and she's been a proud member of the Carter family ever since (well, ignoring the fact that she did run over her half-sister Nancy, that is!).
Rose Ayling-Ellis – Casualty and other roles
Prior to joining EastEnders, Rose guest starred in Casualty back in 2015 and also played the role of Esther in BBC Two drama Summer of Rockets last year.
Rose also has an impressive number of theatre credits under her belt.
Rose Ayling-Ellis on Strictly Come Dancing – how is she making history?
Whether you're aware of it or not, Rose is the first deaf contestant to compete in Strictly Come Dancing in the history of the show. Speaking ahead of her partner being announced, Rose revealed how proud she was to break new ground for the show and the deaf community.
"To be the first deaf contestant on Strictly Come Dancing is sooooo exciting... and a little bit scary," Rose said. "It is the hardest secret I have ever had to keep so it feels amazing to finally have this out in the open!
"I hope I will do the deaf community proud and break down more barriers. But I am also very excited to learn an incredible new skill and even better I get to learn whilst wearing beautiful dresses made especially for me!"
During the opening show last week, Rose explained that she would have a BSL interpreter during training. She has also explained that she wants to challenge misconceptions about how deaf people experience music.
"A lot of people think that deaf people can't hear the music, enjoy the music, and enjoy dancing," she said to the BBC. "I thought it would be a good platform for me to break that stereotype."
"I have a hearing aid, so I pick up some of the music and I can hear the beat. I can hear someone singing, but I can't identify exact words. I can also feel the vibrations. I will be focusing on reading my partner's body language plus counting in my head, which will help me with timing."
Rose Ayling-Ellis - age, boyfriend, Instagram
Rose was born on the 17th November 1994, making her 26 years old. She apparently discovered her passion for acting when she was at a filming event led by the National Deaf Children’s Society. There, she met film director Ted Evans, who later cast her in his award-winning short film The End.
She went on to attend Deafinitely Youth Theatre, and later studied at the University for the Creative Arts.
The Sun reports that she has been with her boyfriend for seven years. It seems that she opts to keep their relationship off social media but she has shared a few snaps of their travels together on Instagram.
Speaking of Instagram, you can find Rose here.
Strictly Come Dancing 2021's first live show airs Saturday (September 25) on BBC One. EastEnders airs on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays on BBC One.
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