Rose Ayling-Ellis admits she initially 'hated' iconic Strictly idea
Former Eastenders actress Rose Ayling-Ellis has shared her initial reaction to arguably her most famous dance routine of her Strictly Come Dancing journey. The star, who won the Glitterball Trophy in 2021, has opened up on other aspects of her time on the show, too.
The 29-year-old made headlines alongside her dance partner Giovanni Pernice at the time, when the pair danced in total silence, wowing the crowds with their synchronisation despite the lack of music - making for a spectacle never before seen on the show. But Rose has admitted she wasn't a fan of the idea at first, Birmingham Live reports, worrying it would come across as a 'pity' vote.
She even spoke with show bosses to try and scrap the idea entirely.
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In an interview with The Guardian, she said: "I hated it. I watched this pre-recorded video by external choreographers and immediately didn’t like what they’d come up with. I was up for the idea, as long as it wasn’t a patronising stunt... An attempt to get the pity vote, all sad, dreary and 'poor me'.
She added: "It was what hearing people think deaf people experience. Very insular, cut-off, small. It was so sad. And that's not me. I told them, if you want me, I'll need you to agree to certain things."
“They went further than I’d asked,” she said, adding: “So I said yes. On my first day, everyone finger spelt their name to me. It was a special gesture.”
Claudia Winkleman told the paper: “To be clear, Rose isn’t astonishing because she won a dance contest while not hearing the music. She’s utterly brilliant because she’s genuinely hilarious, because she’s ridiculously humble, and because she’s bonkers talented.”
Rose said: “I’ve had so many opportunities because of all this.” She continued: “And I’m in this position where people are listening to me. It comes with a sense of responsibility - I don’t want to make a mistake, or let the deaf community down. It feels a lot is on my shoulders.”