Rose Ayling-Ellis has been announced as Strictly Come Dancing’s latest celebrity contestant.
Rose Ayling-Ellis is an actress who is best known for her role of Frankie Lewis in EastEnders.
Rose joined the soap in 2020 as the first ever deaf actor to play a deaf character on the soap. Rose, who uses British Sign Language, has also appeared on Summer of Rockets and Casualty.
On signing up for Strictly, she said: “To be the first deaf contestant on Strictly Come Dancing is sooooo exciting… and a little bit scary. 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 whilst wearing beautiful dresses made especially for me!”
Other names confirmed for the 2021 Strictly Come Dancing cast include business guru and TV personality Sara Davies, singer-songwriter and musician Tom Fletcher, actor and author Robert Webb and TV presenter and chef John Whaite.
They’re joined by influencer, chef and TV presenter Matilda ‘Tilly’ Ramsay, TV presenter AJ Odudu, CBBC presenter Rhys Stephenson and Coronation Stree actress Katie McGlynn.
Concluding the current crop of contestants are presenter Dan Walker and stage & screen actor Nina Wadia.
Further reveals will take place on Friday, 13 August on ITV’s Loose Women from 12:30PM as well as The Lateish Show on Channel 4 at 10PM.
Other names linked to the 2021 Strictly Come Dancing line up currently include weatherman Tomasz Schafernaker, singer & actor Olly Alexander, football star Peter Crouch, actor Ryan Thomas, former rugby player Ugo Monye and Line Of Duty actor Gregory Piper.
The new series of Strictly Come Dancing will start on BBC One in the autumn on Saturday and Sunday nights.
Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will be back hosting the main show while former pro dancer Janette Manrara will take charge of spin-off series It Takes Two with Rylan Clark-Neal.
On the judging panel, Motsi Mabuse, Craig Revel Horwood and Shirley Ballas will be joined by Anton Du Beke this year because Bruno Tonioli cannot appear due to ongoing travel restrictions as a result of the pandemic.
Picture: BBC
