Strictly star Rose Ayling-Ellis 'terrified it's the end' as Giovanni sends love

Strictly Come Dancing's Rose Ayling-Ellis has expressed her fears stating it 'feels like the end' as her dance partner Giovanni Pernice offered comforting words. The former EastEnders actress, who won Strictly in 2022 with professional dancer Gio, has been a strong advocate for those with hearing loss, and her 'deaf dance' on the show received widespread acclaim, reports the Express.

However, Rose has now confessed to feeling 'heartbroken' as she passionately criticised a medical breakthrough that could potentially cure deafness in children. Rose Ayling-Ellis stated: "Here is a photo of me as a toddler. If I had been born a couple of years later, my life could have been very different.

"Today, it was reported that a gene therapy trial has taken place. I knew that it was going to happen, but I didn't expect it so soon. My first reaction was feeling terrified and heartbroken. It feels like the end. Let me explain why.

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"Imagine a world where everyone is "normal". What will become of our story, our culture, language, and identity? Will we be the last deaf generation and end up in a museum somewhere? Deaf people have existed throughout human history. Who decides that their lives are not worth being integrated into society? Who assumes that we want to be "fixed"? Where will they draw the line? ".

"Will all the hard work that deaf people fought for inclusivity be thrown out of the window? Why would society meet us halfway now they are the "cure"? A cure is defined as "relieving a person of the symptoms of a disease or condition". My deafness is not a disease or a condition. I don't need relief from it. My deafness has given me many opportunities, and my life is richer because of it. Why would I want that to be gone?

"There are many deaf people out there that are doing great things! Why should we tell them that they are broken when, in fact, they are winning? To add insult to injury, this was released during Deaf Awareness Week. The week should be about embracing and spreading awareness about our culture. Not something to overcome."

"Can you help me out here? Let's spread positivity. Leave a comment about your favourite thing about being deaf or being with deaf people?" On a note about the family who opted to restore their baby's hearing, Rose commented; "Please respect the decision made by the family for their little girl. Like any parent, they are doing what they believe is best for their child. This is not a rant directed towards them in any way. Rather, it is a rant directed towards the society that makes us all believe that being deaf will only bring us suffering, when in reality, it is quite the opposite."

Rose Ayling-Ellis's Strictly Come Dancing partner, Giovanni Pernice, showed his support after Rose shared her thoughts about a new genetic treatment that can prevent deafness. Giovanni sent her three red heart emojis and liked her post. However, some fans disagreed with Rose's views.

One user, @alaurell1, who has two deaf children, said: "I have 2 deaf children. This news has brought me joy. You would never choose for your children to be deaf. It's an amazing advancement in Science."

Another user, @ryanpengellymusic, commented: "It's not easy being debilitated or perhaps even in a minority group. Now i couldn't think of a more useless argument to prevent hearing loss than this one. i can see why it would leave the public in lieu / in economic struggles to afford this treatment, however. And, the resistance of gene therapy is a losing argument, inevitably."

A third user, @jakebroughton, said: "I really like you, but I think this is an awfully self serving post." However, other fans supported Rose. @jsscmy said: "Absolutely behind you on this rose ! ".

And @sassyt73 commented: "Because of the deaf community my son was able to find his voice when he lost it to progressive mutism. BSL is such a rich language that enables him to truly express himself in a way no AAC can ant. THAT is only because the deaf community exists and their language exists. Such a rich culture thar in a small way let my son have a way to express himself, although not deaf without it we'd have lost even more."