Rose Ayling-Ellis

Rose Lucinda Ayling-Ellis (born 17 November 1994) is an English actress and model. Deaf since birth, she is a British Sign Language user. On television, she is best known for her role as Frankie Lewis in the BBC soap opera EastEnders (2020–2022) and for winning the nineteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing with Giovanni Pernice in 2021, when she became the programme's first deaf contestant.

Also known for her theatre work, she has earned a Laurence Olivier Award nomination, and is the recipient of the Visionary Honours for Inspirational Person of the Year.

Early life
Rose Lucinda Ayling-Ellis was born on 17 November 1994, in Hythe, Kent, and grew up there. She was born deaf. As a child, she took part in a filming weekend run by the National Deaf Children's Society. During the weekend, she met deaf film director Ted Evans, who later cast her in his award-winning short film The End. She then applied to Deafinitely Youth Theatre.

Career
Ayling-Ellis's first role was in a short film called The End directed by deaf filmmaker Ted Evans. The 25-minute short is summarised as: "Starting in the 1980s, The End follows four deaf children over 60 years."

She has taken part in a number of stage productions, including Mother Courage (Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester); Faith, Hope And Charity R&D (National Theatre, London) and Herons Workshop (Lyric Hammersmith, London). Her television credits include Summer of Rockets and Casualty. She appeared in The Vamps music video for "Middle of the Night", and in the short film Almost with Vilma Jackson. From 2020 to 2022, Ayling-Ellis portrayed Frankie Lewis in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. Her character was originally written by deaf journalist and scriptwriter Charlie Swinbourne and she made her first appearance on 18 May 2020. Her departure from the series was announced in August 2022, with her final scenes airing on 22 September 2022.

In 2021, Ayling-Ellis became the first deaf contestant on BBC's Strictly Come Dancing. She participated in and won the show's nineteenth series, with professional Giovanni Pernice. In an interview before the start of the series, she said: "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 also feel the vibrations." Ayling-Ellis and Pernice scored 40 (full marks) for their tango in week six, which was the earliest "perfect score" in the show's history. In week eight, their Couple's Choice contemporary dance featured a rumba with an added period of silence as a tribute to the deaf community. Described by judge Anton Du Beke as "the greatest thing I've ever seen on the show", it earned them the 2021 Heat Unmissables Award for TV Moment of the Year. It also won the British Academy Television Award for Virgin TV's Must-See Moment in 2022.

In May 2022, Ayling-Ellis became the first celebrity to sign a bedtime story on CBeebies, telling the tale of Raymond Antrobus's children's picture book Can Bears Ski? (2020). In August 2022, she unveiled the first deaf Barbie doll equipped with behind-the-ear hearing aids released as part of the Barbie Fashionistas line consisting of a number of diverse dolls. She worked with Mattel during the production of the doll, and featured in the promotional campaign "Rose, Barbie & Friends".

Ayling-Ellis was nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role at the 2023 Laurence Olivier Awards for her performance in As You Like It at @sohoplace. In May 2023, she was announced as the star of the upcoming ITV drama Code of Silence.

Personal life
In an interview with the National Deaf Children's Society, Ayling-Ellis explained that she often has to perform using Sign-supported English (SSE) to reflect her own communication style and make it clear to audiences. Her deafness has not stopped her from enjoying music, and she told The Guardian that her favourite artists are Dolly Parton and Stevie Wonder, and that she is a big fan of soul music. Ayling-Ellis was in a relationship with Samuel Arnold, who is also deaf, from 2014 until 2022.

Ayling-Ellis was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2024 Birthday Honours for voluntary services to the deaf community.