Rose Ayling-Ellis — things you didn't know about the TV star

Rose Ayling-Ellis not only made history as the first deaf contestant to compete on and win BBC's Strictly Come Dancing, but she also became a household favorite after taking on the role of Frankie Lewis in EastEnders in May 2020.

Since then, Rose's career has gone from strength to strength as she stars in huge TV dramas like the ITV drama Code of Silence, where she plays a deaf catering worker who becomes a heroine by lip-reading criminals' conversations to help to put them behind bars, and BBC thriller Reunion which follows the story of a deaf man who's determined to unravel the truth behind the events that led him to prison.

Away from dramas, Rose has also recently starred in BBC show Old Hands, New Tricks, where she teaches sign language to seniors - and as a passionate advocate for raising awareness surrounding British Sign Language after being born deaf, this was a project very close to her heart.

But what else is there to know about the TV star? Here's everything you need to know about Rose Ayling-Ellis ...

Rose is a ground-breaking TV star

Not only was Rose the first deaf contestant to appear on and win Strictly, but she has completed a string countless firsts over the last few years, including becoming the first celebrity reader to perform a CBeebies bedtime story in sign language in 2022, the first deaf person to deliver the Alternative MacTaggart lecture at the Edinburgh TV Festival, and the first deaf person to host a live sports show when she presented the Paralympic Games in France for Channel 4.

She once tried practising the recorder - but her mum banned her!

Rose's deafness hasn't stopped her from enjoying music, telling The Guardian that her favourite artists are Dolly Parton and Stevie Wonder and that she's a big fan of soul music. She also admitted she once practised the recorder, but was soon stopped by her mum. Rose confessed: "I played so badly my mum banned me from practising at home".

Rose has a well-deserved MBE

Rose was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the King’s Birthday Honours in December 2024 for her voluntary services to the deaf community. She received the royal honour from Princess Anne at Windsor Castle. 

She helped design the first deaf Barbie

Rose worked with Mattel on the production of the first deaf Barbie doll equipped with behind-the-ear hearing aids. Speaking on social media, she told her fans: "When Barbie told me they were bringing out a doll with a hearing aid, I was so excited. When I was little, I would draw hearing aids onto my Barbie dolls to make them look like me - now deaf children don’t have to!"

She communicates in a mixture of oral English and British Sign Language (BSL)

In an interview with National Deaf Children's Society, Rose explains that she often has to perform using Sign Supported English (SSE) to reflect her own communication style and make it clear for audiences.

She said: "When I use SSE, it’s like thinking of two languages at the same time while performing, so a BSL monitor checks my BSL is clear on-screen. I also have a BSL interpreter on set at all times, paid for by my Access to Work.

"My ambition is to amplify deaf voices and to stop people assuming deaf people can’t achieve. The challenges of dealing with people’s lack of understanding made me more determined and want to work harder."

She's close to her EastEnders co-star Danny Dyer

Rose has an unlikely bond with EastEnders co-star Danny Dyer, who plays Mick Carter. She told MyLondon: "He even walks backwards with me to set, just so I can see his face, which says a lot about him... I was so nervous about meeting him, and was worried if I would be able to lip-read him."

Danny and Rose have also taken part in interviews to support deaf talent via the UK Deaf Talent Collective. 

Rose's first role was in a short film

Rose's first role was in a short film called The End which was directed by deaf filmmaker Ted Evans. The 25-minute short's synopsis is as follows: 'Starting in the 1980's, The End follows four Deaf children over 60 years. After the introduction of a treatment aimed at eradicating deafness, the very survival of Deaf language and culture is at stake.'

The End isn't the only short Rose has been in, as she's also starred in The Quiet Ones and Reverbations. Outside of short films, she had a role on BBC's Casualty where she played the role of Bianca Sinclair in 2017.

Rose Ayling-Ellis's fact file

Answers to the most frequently asked questions about Rose Ayling-Ellis...

Twitter: @RoseAylingEllis

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We work hard to ensure that all information is correct. Facts that change over time, such as age, will be correct, to the best of our knowledge, at the time of the last article update.