Rose Ayling-Ellis
Ayling-Ellis in 2022
Born
Rose Lucinda Ayling-Ellis

(1994-11-17) 17 November 1994
Hythe, Kent, England
OccupationActress
Years active2011–present
PartnerSamuel Arnold (2014–2022)

Rose Lucinda Ayling-Ellis (born 17 November 1994) is an English actress. Deaf since birth, she is a British Sign Language user. On television, she is best known for her role as Frankie Lewis in the BBC soap opera EastEnders (2020–2022). Also known for her theatre work, she earned a Laurence Olivier Award nomination.

In 2021, she became the first deaf contestant to appear on Strictly Come Dancing and, with Giovanni Pernice, won the nineteenth series. She is the recipient of the Visionary Honours for Inspirational Person of the Year.

Early life

Rose Lucinda Ayling-Ellis[1] was born on 17 November 1994,[2] in Hythe, Kent, and grew up there.[3] She was born deaf.[4] As a child, she took part in a filming weekend run by the National Deaf Children's Society.[5] During the weekend, she met deaf film director Ted Evans, who later cast her in his award-winning short film The End.[6] She then applied to Deafinitely Youth Theatre.[7]

Career

Ayling-Ellis's first role was in a short film called The End directed by deaf filmmaker Ted Evans. The 25-minute short is summarised as: "Starting in the 1980s, The End follows four deaf children over 60 years."[8]

She has taken part in a number of stage productions, including Mother Courage (Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester);[9] Faith, Hope And Charity R&D (National Theatre, London) and Herons Workshop (Lyric Hammersmith, London). Her television credits include Summer of Rockets and Casualty.[10] She appeared in The Vamps music video for "Middle of the Night", and in the short film Almost with Vilma Jackson.[11] 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.[12] Her departure from the series was announced in August 2022, with her final scenes airing on 22 September 2022.[13]

In 2021, Ayling-Ellis became the first deaf contestant on BBC's Strictly Come Dancing.[8] She participated in and won the show's nineteenth series, with professional Giovanni Pernice.[14][15][7] In an interview before the start of the series, she said:

I have a hearing aid, so I pick up some of the music and I can hear the beat. I can hear someone singing, but I can't identify exact words. I also feel the vibrations.[16]

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.[17] In week eight, their Couple's Choice dance featured a period of silence, included as a tribute to the deaf community. Described by judge Anton Du Beke as "the greatest thing I've ever seen on the show",[18][19] it earned them the 2021 Heat Unmissables Award for TV Moment of the Year.[20] It also won the British Academy Television Award for Virgin TV's Must-See Moment in 2022.[21]

In May 2022, Ayling-Ellis became the first celebrity to sign a bedtime story on CBeebies, telling the tale of Raymond Antrobus's children's picture book Can Bears Ski? (2020).[22] 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.[23][24][25] She worked with Mattel during the production of the doll, and featured in the promotional campaign "Rose, Barbie & Friends".[23][25]

Ayling-Ellis was nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role at the 2023 Laurence Olivier Awards for her performance in As You Like It at @sohoplace.[26] In May 2023, she was announced as the star of the upcoming ITV drama Code of Silence.[27]

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.[8] Ayling-Ellis was in a relationship with Samuel Arnold from 2014 until 2022.[28][29]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
2011 The End Sophia Short film
2015 The Quiet Ones Charlotte Short film
2017 Casualty Bianca Sinclair 1 episode
2018 Reverbations 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 Herself Winner
2023 Sing for the King: The Search for the Coronation Choir Judge Documentary for Coronation of Charles III and Camilla
2023 Rose Ayling-Ellis: Signs for Change Herself Documentary
TBA Code of Silence Alison Woods ITV drama series
TBA Tuva Tuva Moodyson Crime series

Stage

Year Title Role Notes
2016 Herons Workshop Michelle Lyric Hammersmith
2019 Mother Courage Kattrin Royal Exchange
2019 Faith, Hope and Charity Daughter National Theatre
2019 Peter Pan Wendy Birmingham Repertory Theatre
2022 Strictly Come Dancing Live! Herself/Contestant UK tour (various locations)
2022–2023 As You Like It Celia @sohoplace

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nominee/work Result Ref.
2020 I Talk Telly Awards Best Soap Newcomer EastEnders Nominated [30]
2020 Digital Spy Reader Awards Best Soap Newcomer Third [31]
2021 National Television Awards Newcomer Nominated [32]
2021 I Talk Telly Awards Best Soap Performance Nominated [33]
2021 Heat Unmissables Awards TV Moment of the Year (shared with Giovanni Pernice) Silent Dance on Strictly Come Dancing Won [20]
2022 Visionary Honours Inspirational Person of the Year Herself Won [34]
2022 National Television Awards Serial Drama Performance EastEnders Shortlisted [35]
2023 Laurence Olivier Awards Best Actress in a Supporting Role As You Like It Nominated [26]

References

  1. ↑ Hoe, Danielle (12 December 2021). "Eastenders Rose's life from music video cameo to boyfriend 'split'". YorkshireLive. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  2. ↑ "Strictly's Giovanni Pernice pictured with Rose Ayling-Ellis' boyfriend out for dinner". Entertainment Daily. 19 November 2021. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  3. ↑ Castle, Liane (19 November 2021). "EastEnders actress Rose Ayling-Ellis from Hythe tipped to win the Strictly Come Dancing glitterball". KentOnline. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
  4. ↑ Wilkins, Bridie (6 November 2021). "Strictly made a big change for Rose Ayling-Ellis that we never knew about". Hello!. Archived from the original on 27 November 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  5. ↑ "Starring in EastEnders | My deafness didn't stop me". www.ndcs.org.uk.
  6. ↑ "The End (Zoom Focus 2011)". BSL Zone.
  7. 1 2 Saner, Emine (19 December 2021). "Strictly exclusive! Winner Rose Ayling-Ellis on the glitterball, Giovanni and the joy of being deaf". The Guardian.
  8. 1 2 3 Buglass, Lucy (22 September 2021). "Rose Ayling-Ellis — things you didn't know about the 'EastEnders' actress". whattowatch.com. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  9. ↑ Brennan, Clare (17 February 2019). "Mother Courage and Her Children review – canny power from Julie Hesmondhalgh". The Observer.
  10. ↑ "Meet: Rose Ayling-Ellis, star of BBC's Summer of Rockets". The Limping Chicken. 28 August 2019.
  11. ↑ "Almost". BSL Zone.
  12. ↑ Patterson, Stephen (1 February 2021). "EastEnders star confirms Frankie's deaf identity will be explored further". Metro.
  13. ↑ "Rose Ayling-Ellis: Strictly winner to leave EastEnders after two years". BBC News. 18 August 2022. Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  14. ↑ O'Connor, Roisin (10 October 2021). "Rose Ayling-Ellis on becoming Strictly Come Dancing's first deaf contestant". The Independent. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  15. ↑ "Strictly Come Dancing 2021: Rose Ayling-Ellis becomes first deaf winner". BBC News. 19 December 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  16. ↑ McIntosh, Steven (15 September 2021). "Strictly Come Dancing: How Rose Ayling-Ellis will hear the music". BBC News. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  17. ↑ Bagwell, Matt (31 October 2021). "Strictly Come Dancing: Rose Ayling-Ellis And Giovanni Pernice Secure Earliest 40 In Show's History With 'Perfect' Tango". HuffPost. Archived from the original on 2 November 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  18. ↑ Duke, Simon (13 November 2021). "Strictly's Anton cracks with emotion giving verdict on Rose dance". ChronicleLive. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  19. ↑ Percival, Ash (14 November 2021). "Rose Ayling-Ellis Moves Strictly Viewers To Tears With Emotional Performance Dedicated To The Deaf Community". HuffPost UK. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  20. 1 2 Hilton, Boyd (7 December 2021). "heat Unmissables Awards 2021: see the full list of winners". Heat. Archived from the original on 8 December 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  21. ↑ "Bafta TV Awards 2022: The winners and nominees". BBC News. 8 May 2022. Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  22. ↑ Johnson-Obeng, Bree (6 May 2022). "Rose Ayling-Ellis to sign CBeebies Bedtime Story". BBC News. Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  23. 1 2 Cleverley, Ellie; Farooq, Iqra (18 August 2022). "'Inclusive Barbies are a major step in my life'". BBC News. Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  24. ↑ "EastEnders actress Rose Ayling-Ellis unveils first Barbie with hearing aids". Sky News. 16 August 2022. Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  25. 1 2 "Strictly star Rose Ayling-Ellis unveils first Barbie doll with hearing aids". ITV News. 16 August 2022. Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  26. 1 2 Wood, Alex (28 February 2023). "Olivier Awards 2023 nominations announced – see the full list". WhatsOnStage.com. Archived from the original on 19 August 2023. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  27. ↑ "ITV commissions six part thriller Code of Silence starring Rose Ayling-Ellis". itv.com. 17 May 2023. Archived from the original on 19 August 2023. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
  28. ↑ Murphy, Nichola (22 December 2021). "Rose Ayling-Ellis reveals house rules before living with boyfriend Sam". Hello!. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  29. ↑ Hallam, Katy (3 September 2022). "BBC Strictly Come Dancing's Rose Ayling-Ellis 'hit by curse as she splits from boyfriend'". BirminghamLive. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  30. ↑ Gonzalez, Elliot (8 November 2020). "I TALK TELLY AWARDS 2020 Nominees". I Talk Telly.
  31. ↑ Robinson, Abby (25 December 2020). "EastEnders triumphs at Digital Spy Reader Awards 2020". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 6 November 2021. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  32. ↑ Wehrstedt, Lisa (9 September 2021). "NTAs 2021 winners revealed, as Line of Duty and Coronation Street win major awards". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 12 December 2021. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
  33. ↑ Gonzalez, Elliot (14 November 2021). "I TALK TELLY AWARDS 2021 Nominations". I Talk Telly. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  34. ↑ "Winners of the 2022 Visionary Honours announced". Visionary Arts Foundation. 2 March 2022. Archived from the original on 2 March 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  35. ↑ Earp, Catherine (13 October 2022). "National Television Awards: Full winners list". Digital Spy. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
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