Rose Ayling Ellis

Rose Ayling-Ellis Biography

Rose Ayling-Ellis is an English actor, television presenter and children’s book author best known for her role as Frankie Lewis on the BBC soap opera EastEnders and for winning the 19th series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2021. She made history as the first deaf contestant on Strictly Come Dancing, using vibration and her hearing aid to sense the music while dancing with professional partner Giovanni Pernice. Her performances on the show, including a wordless Couple’s Choice routine celebrating deaf culture, were widely praised and helped raise awareness of deaf people and British Sign Language in mainstream media.

Childhood

Rose Lucinda Ayling-Ellis was born on November 17, 1994 in Hythe, Kent, in south‑east England. She has been deaf from birth and grew up in a hearing family, with an older brother. Her parents separated when she was very young, and her mother later learned British Sign Language to improve communication with her. As a child, Rose attended mainstream school while also engaging with deaf‑community activities, which helped her develop confidence in navigating both hearing and deaf worlds.

Education

Rose attended Christ Church Church of England High School in Ashford, Kent, where she balanced typical school life with extra‑curricular interests related to performance and the deaf community. As a teenager she took part in a filmmaking weekend organized by the National Deaf Children’s Society, which led to her first on‑screen role in the short film The End in 2011. She later joined Deafinitely Youth Theatre to train in acting, and also studied fashion design at the University for the Creative Arts, graduating in 2016 while continuing to build her stage and screen credits.

Career

Rose began her career in theatre and short films before landing television roles, including appearances in Casualty and Summer of Rockets. She became a household name when she joined the cast of EastEnders in 2020 as Frankie Lewis, a character specifically written as deaf, allowing Rose to portray authentic deaf experiences on a major soap. Beyond acting, she rose to national prominence by winning Strictly Come Dancing in 2021, followed by further work as a presenter and documentary maker, including BBC programmes such as Rose Ayling-Ellis: Signs for Change and coverage of the Paralympic Games. She has also written a series of children’s books about communication and everyday routines, expanding her influence into children’s media.

Family Life

Rose Ayling-Ellis tends to keep her private life relatively low‑key, but she has spoken about the importance of her family and her deaf‑identity community in interviews. She has mentioned her mother’s efforts to learn British Sign Language and the impact this had on their bond. In the public eye, she has been linked to no long‑term partners that are widely confirmed, and she has not disclosed any children or traditional family setup, focusing instead on her career and advocacy work for deaf people.

Achievements

Rose has received numerous accolades for her work on stage, screen and in public advocacy. In 2021 she won Strictly Come Dancing while also becoming a role model for deaf people across the UK, and her Couple’s Choice routine won a BAFTA TV Award for Must See Moment. For the BBC drama Reunion she received a British Academy Television Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and she has also been recognized with theatre awards, including the Stage Debut Award. In 2024 she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire for voluntary services to the deaf community, cementing her status as a leading figure in disability representation.

Controversies

Rose Ayling-Ellis has generally been regarded positively in the media and public eye, with criticism focused less on her personally and more on broader industry debates. Some discussions have arisen around how strictly the BBC and other broadcasters include deaf actors and genuine deaf storylines, prompting Rose to speak out about the need for deaf‑led casting and creative control. There have also been occasional debates about the portrayal of her relationship with Giovanni Pernice on Strictly Come Dancing, mainly within fan communities, but these have not escalated into major scandals.

Rose Ayling-Ellis Summary

Rose Ayling-Ellis is a pioneering British actor, presenter and author who has helped transform the visibility of deaf people in mainstream entertainment. From her early days in youth theatre and short films to her breakthrough on EastEnders and victory on Strictly Come Dancing, she has used her platform to highlight deaf culture, British Sign Language and inclusive storytelling. Her work spans television drama, light entertainment, documentary presenting, and children’s publishing, making her a multifaceted public figure and a respected advocate for disability equality.