Meet Rose Ayling-Ellis: Strictly Come Dancing 2021 contestant and EastEnders star

Everything you need to know about Rose Ayling-Ellis.

Rose Ayling-Ellis.

Published: Friday, 17 December 2021 at 10:20 am

Rose Ayling-Ellis has gone from strength to strength in this year's Strictly Come Dancing, and the EastEnders star continued her incredible form with two superb performances in the semi-final.

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After scoring 39 points with an impressive Waltz, Rose stole the show with a stunning Argentine Tango at the very end of the show – not only earning a perfect 40 but also being told by Motsi Mabuse that she had delivered the "dance of the series".

With just two contestants left in the Strictly Come Dancing 2021 line-up she'll be hoping that she can put in one last effort and pick up the Glitterball trophy in this weekend's Strictly Come Dancing 2021 final.

And, given she and her partner Giovanni Pernice sat joint top of the Strictly Come Dancing leaderboard last week alongside AJ Odudu, she certainly has a very good chance.

Sadly, OJ Odudu won't be joining John and Rose in the final due to her dropping out over a leg injury.

As her Strictly journey nears its end, here's everything you need to know about Rose.

Who is Rose Ayling-Ellis?

Age: 31

Job: Actress

Partnered with: Giovanni Pernice

Instagram: @rose.a.e

Twitter: @RoseAylingEllis

Rose is best known for playing Frankie Lewis, EastEnders' first deaf character. She also appeared in Casualty, where she played Bianca Sinclair.

Rose Ayling-Ellis plays Esther in Summer of Rockets

In 2019, Rose starred as Esther in the BBC Two miniseries Summer of Rockets alongside Keeley Hawes, Linus Roache, Timothy Spall and Toby Stephens.

Rose has also starred in short films, including the award-winning drama The End.

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Has Rose Ayling Ellis left EastEnders?

Her character Frankie making a sudden exit has led many to wonder whether Rose has said goodbye to EastEnders for good. Good news, Rose has not left EastEnders and she is just on a break while she takes part in Strictly - so Frankie should be back in Walford in the New Year.

The soap star confirmed back in September 2021 that EastEnders had given her the time off to take to the dance floor, telling Metro.co.uk: “Normally, EastEnders makes you work at the same time as doing Strictly, but EastEnders gave me time off, so I can just focus on Strictly completely.”

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Rose's Strictly journey

Scoreboard

Week One: Jive (6 + 6 + 4 + 6) = 22

Week Two: Salsa (6 + 7 + 6 + 7) = 26

Week Three: Foxtrot (9 + 9 + 9 + 9) = 36

Week Four: Cha Cha (7 + 6 +6 + 8) = 27

Week Five: Viennese Waltz (9 + 10 + 9 + 9) = 37

Week Six: Tango (10 + 10 + 10 + 10) = 40

Week Seven: Samba (8 + 8 + 8 + 8) = 32

Week Eight: Couple’s Choice (9 + 10 +10 +10) = 39

Week Nine: Quickstep (10 + 9 + 9 + 9) = 37

Week 10: Paso Doble (8 + 8 + 8 + 9) = 33

Week 11: American Smooth (9 + 10 + 10 + 10) = 39

Week 12: Waltz (9 + 10 + 10 + 10) + Argentine Tango (10 + 10 + 10 + 10) = 79

Following the news that she would be joining Strictly, Rose, who uses British Sign Language (BSL), said she was both excited and a little scared to be joining the line-up.

“To be the first deaf contestant on Strictly Come Dancing is sooooo exciting.. and a little bit scary," she explained. "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 while wearing beautiful dresses made especially for me!"

Could she claim this year's coveted Glitterball trophy?

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Strictly Come Dancing continues this weekend on BBC One. Want something else to watch? Check out our full TV Guide. Visit our Entertainment hub for all the latest news.

Authors

Lidia Molina Whyte wears a mustard-coloured top. She is smiling and looking upwards to her left

Lidia Molina-WhyteFreelance

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