Strictly Come Dancing winner Rose Ayling-Ellis has revealed her next career move after announcing her exit from BBC soap EastEnders last week. The 27-year-old will be fronting a "hard-hitting" documentary on the BBC aiming to reveal the daily challenges, discrimination and barriers faced by the deaf community.
In 2020, Rose became the first deaf actor to play a regular deaf character on BBC One's long-running drama, starring as Frankie Lewis. But on August 18, she announced she would be leaving Albert Square adding how she was "ready for new challenges".
The news of the one-off documentary, currently titled Signs For Change, was revealed at the Edinburgh TV Festival - where Rose has also given a Alternative MacTaggart lecture. It was one of three major BBC commissions announced at the festival.
According to the BBC, Rose's documentary will "explore positive movement for societal change and inclusion for deaf individuals" and "will question if society is adapting fast enough to allow for equality amongst the deaf and hearing worlds". It follows the news that, as of May 2022, British Sign Language has been recognised in law as an official language.
“This documentary will be real, emotional and hard-hitting," Rose said of her new project: "And it is high time that the realities of deaf people in the UK were shared with a wider audience. My hope is to encourage people to look at our attitude as a society and to reflect on how we can improve the lives of deaf people.
"It will not paint me as an inspiration," She added: "But will instead lift the lid on the gritty stuff that we desperately need to confront. I have always admired the incredible, ground-breaking work of Rogan Productions, and I am thrilled to be working with James and the team to document my life, and to share what matters most to me.”
“From the moment Rose was awarded full marks on Strictly, the earliest in its history, we knew we had to make a documentary with her," Creative Director at Rogan Productions, who are producing the documentary, James Rogan said: "Her ability to break boundaries and transform the way we see the world is exceptional. This documentary is the opportunity for her to share a lifetime of experience and a powerful call for change.”
Emma Loach, BBC Commissioning Editor, added: “The impact Rose has had over the last few years is nothing short of remarkable. We are honoured to be working with Rose on this new BBC documentary which, by examining her own life and the experiences of others, will shed important light on the challenges still faced by deaf people in the UK.”
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