Rose Lucinda Ayling-Ellis (born 17 November 1994) is an English actress, television presenter and writer of children's books. Deaf since birth, she is a British Sign Language user.
Ayling-Ellis gained recognition as Frankie Lewis in the BBC soap opera EastEnders (2020–2022), and won the 19th series of the dancing competition show Strictly Come Dancing with Giovanni Pernice in 2021; she was the programme's first deaf contestant. In 2025, she starred in the drama series Reunion and Code of Silence, earning a nomination for the British Academy Television Award for Best Supporting Actress for Reunion.
Also known for her theatre work, Ayling-Ellis was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award and won The Stage Debut Award for the play As You Like It (2022–2023). She is the recipient of the Visionary Honours for Inspirational Person of the Year.
Early life and education Rose Lucinda Ayling-Ellis was born on 17 November 1994, in Hythe, Kent, where she grew up with her older brother. She was born deaf. Her parents separated when she was five months old.
She attended Cheriton primary school from 2000–2006 then Christ Church, Church of England High School in Ashford, Kent. As a child, she took part in a filming weekend organised by the National Deaf Children's Society. During the weekend, she met deaf film director Ted Evans, who later cast her in his 2011 short film The End, which marked her acting debut. She then joined the Deafinitely Youth Theatre, and concurrently studied fashion design at the University for the Creative Arts, graduating in 2016.
Career Acting Following her debut in The End, Ayling-Ellis appeared in a number of stage productions, including Lyric Hammersmith's Herons Workshop in 2016, Royal Exchange Theatre's Mother Courage in 2019, and London National Theatre's Faith, Hope and Charity in 2019. Her early television credits include the medical drama Casualty (2017) and the period drama Summer of Rockets (2019). She also had a part in the 2017 music video for The Vamps' song "Middle of the Night".
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.
Ayling-Ellis was nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role at the 2023 Laurence Olivier Awards and won The Stage Debut Award for Best West End Debut for her performance in As You Like It at @sohoplace. She starred as Miri in the BBC thriller series Reunion, and appeared in a guest role in "The Well", an episode of the fifteenth series of Doctor Who, both in 2025. Ayling-Ellis also portrayed Alison Brooks in the 2025 ITV drama series Code of Silence. Her performance in Reunion earned her a nomination for the British Academy Television Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Other ventures In 2021, Ayling-Ellis became the first deaf contestant on BBC's Strictly Come Dancing. She participated in and won the show's 19th series, with professional Giovanni Pernice. In an interview before the start of the series, she said: 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.
Week # Dance / Song Judges' scores Result HorwoodMabuseBallasDu BekeTotal1Jive / "Shake It Off"664622No elimination2Salsa / "Cuba"676726Safe3Foxtrot / "Rose's Theme"999936Safe4Cha-cha-cha / "Raspberry Beret"766726Safe5Viennese waltz / "Fallin'"9109937Safe6Tango / "Shivers"1010101040Safe7Samba / "Cinema Italiano"888832Safe8Contemporary / "Symphony"910101039Safe9Quickstep / "Love Is an Open Door"991038Safe10Paso doble / "California Dreamin'" 88933Safe11American Smooth / "This Will Be"910101039Safe12Waltz / "How Long Will I Love You?"Argentine tango / "A Evaristo Carriego"9101010101010103940Safe13Quickstep / "Love Is an Open Door"Freestyle / "The Rose"Contemporary / "Symphony"91010101010101010101010394040Winner
In May 2022, Ayling-Ellis became the first celebrity to sign a bedtime story on CBeebies, telling the tale of Raymond Antrobus's 2020 children's picture book Can Bears Ski?. 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 presented the BBC documentary Rose Ayling-Ellis: Signs for Change in 2023, and the two-part BBC documentary series Rose Ayling-Ellis: Old Hands, New Tricks in 2025. In August 2024, she was announced as a presenter for Channel 4's coverage of the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris, France. As a result, she became the first deaf person to host live sport coverage on British television.
As announced in June 2024, Ayling-Ellis signed a 10-book deal with DK Children's, including non-fiction, picture books and board books, starting with Rose Knows: The Amazing Story of Communication in 2025.
Ayling-Ellis took part in the 2026 New Year Taskmaster panel game show, winning the second episode and becoming the overall winner.
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. She 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. She was the subject of a 2024 episode of the BBC genealogy programme Who Do You Think You Are? On the programme, she discovered that her fourth great-grandfather, Pasquel Lyons, was born in Italy and is likely to have emigrated to the United Kingdom during the Napoleonic Wars.
Bibliography
Rose Knows: The Amazing Story of Communication (2025) Rose Says Good Morning! (2025) Rose Says Good Night! (2025)
Filmography Year Title Role Notes 2011 The End Sophia Short film 2015 The Quiet Ones Charlotte Short film 2017 Casualty Bianca Sinclair Series 32, episode 7 2018 Reverberations Josephine Short film 2019 Summer of Rockets Esther Main role 2020 Almost Sarah Short film 2020–2022 EastEnders Frankie Lewis Regular role; 131 episodes 2021 Strictly Come Dancing Contestant Series 19 2022 CBeebies Bedtime Stories Narrator Episodes: "Can Bears Ski?" and "Everybody Can Dance" 2023 Sing for the King: The Search for the Coronation Choir Mentor Documentary Rose Ayling-Ellis: Signs for Change Presenter Documentary Shakespeare Sonnets: A Modern Love Story Narrator Television special Murder, They Hope Catherine Episode: "Blood Actually" 2024 Afternoon Live Presenter 2024 Summer Paralympics coverage Who Do You Think You Are? Herself Series 21, episode 4 Ludwig Freya Chordwell Series 1, episode 5 2025 Rose Ayling-Ellis: Old Hands, New Tricks Presenter Documentary series Reunion Miri Mokhtar Main role Doctor Who Aliss Fenly Episode: "The Well" Code of Silence Alison Brooks Main role, also executive producer 2026 Taskmaster Herself Two-part New Year Treat special The Great Stand Up to Cancer Bake Off Contestant; series nine TBA Tuva Tuva Moodyson Upcoming series; also executive producer
Stage
Year Title Role Notes 2016 Herons Workshop Michelle Lyric Hammersmith 2019 Mother Courage Kattrin Royal Exchange Faith, Hope and Charity Daughter National Theatre Peter Pan Wendy Birmingham Repertory Theatre 2022 Strictly Come Dancing Live! Herself UK tour (various locations) 2022–2023 As You Like It Celia @sohoplace
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Nominee/work Result 2020 Digital Spy Reader Awards Best Soap Newcomer EastEnders 2021 National Television Awards Newcomer EastEnders Heat Unmissables Awards TV Moment of the Year (with Giovanni Pernice) Silent Dance on Strictly Come Dancing 2022 Visionary Honours Inspirational Person of the Year Herself National Television Awards Serial Drama Performance EastEnders 2023 Laurence Olivier Awards Best Actress in a Supporting Role As You Like It The Stage Debut Awards Best West End Debut As You Like It 2024 Grierson Awards Best Documentary Presenter Rose Ayling-Ellis: Signs for Change 2025 Royal Television Society Programme Awards Sports Presenter, Commentator or Pundit (with Clare Balding) 2024 Summer Paralympics National Film Awards UK Best Actress in a TV Series Code of Silence National Television Awards Drama Performance Code of Silence TVTimes Awards Favourite Actor Code of Silence 2026 TV Choice Awards Best Drama Performance Code of Silence British Academy Television Awards Best Supporting Actress Reunion
References
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