Rose Ayling-Ellis

Rose Lucinda Ayling-Ellis (born 17 November 1994) is an English actress. Deaf since birth, she is a British Sign Language user. She is best known for playing the role of Frankie Lewis in the BBC soap opera EastEnders (2020–2022). 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 was born on 17 November 1994, in Hythe, Kent, and grew up there. She was born deaf. As a child, she took part in a filming weekend run by the National Deaf Children's Society. During the weekend, she met deaf film director Ted Evans, who later cast her in his award-winning short film The End. She then applied to Deafinitely Youth Theatre. 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."