Rose Ayling-Ellis

I'm not a superhero!

— Rose Ayling-Ellis

I love the deaf community.

— Rose Ayling-Ellis

I can dance, and I can count.

— Rose Ayling-Ellis

I never really saw deaf people on TV.

— Rose Ayling-Ellis

My reality isn't always nice.

— Rose Ayling-Ellis

It's a joy to be deaf.

— Rose Ayling-Ellis

Just hiring a deaf actor is not a job well done.

— Rose Ayling-Ellis

It's been incredibly special to be 'EastEnders' first regular deaf actor.

— Rose Ayling-Ellis

It is a common misconception that deaf people can't enjoy music.

— Rose Ayling-Ellis

I can hear someone singing, but I can't identify exact words.

— Rose Ayling-Ellis

I had to break through countless barriers to get to where I am.

— Rose Ayling-Ellis

I just never thought I could do acting full-time.

— Rose Ayling-Ellis

A lot of deaf people experience feeling left out. Feeling lonely.

— Rose Ayling-Ellis

I knew a big part of why 'Strictly' approached me was because I am deaf.

— Rose Ayling-Ellis

Being the first deaf person to play a regular character is a huge privilege and was long overdue.

— Rose Ayling-Ellis

If you put the right support in place, get it all set up, then I can do my job as easily as…

— Rose Ayling-Ellis

Not all deaf people are the same, every deaf person will have their own unique experience with music.

— Rose Ayling-Ellis

It's so important for children to be able to see themselves represented in the toys they play with.

— Rose Ayling-Ellis

It can be frustrating, playing a hearing person's perception of what a deaf person is like.

— Rose Ayling-Ellis

Every person on 'Strictly' works so hard to bring the show together and they are the most creative people.

— Rose Ayling-Ellis

As a deaf actor, doing Shakespeare feels quite scary. But I feel like I get braver all the time.

— Rose Ayling-Ellis

False promises have become the norm for me, and I often underestimate and dismiss how much I put up with.

— Rose Ayling-Ellis

The biggest challenge growing up was probably around education. I had to fight a lot to get the support that I needed…

— Rose Ayling-Ellis

DYT believed in who I was as an actress and who I could be, which is something I want for generations of…

— Rose Ayling-Ellis

When I was little, I would draw hearing aids onto my Barbie dolls to make them look like me, so I am…

— Rose Ayling-Ellis

It's been a lonely, upsetting journey, and whilst winning 'Strictly' was an amazing experience, it shouldn't be allowed to conceal the hardships…

— Rose Ayling-Ellis

It's not enough to make me a pioneer on my own without allowing other deaf people to have a platform, and not…

— Rose Ayling-Ellis

I struggled a lot with English, with grammar. You write what you hear. Deaf people have to remember it and spell things…

— Rose Ayling-Ellis

In the hearing world, I'm constantly having to lip-read and trying to understand what's going on. Sign language is so beautiful. It…

— Rose Ayling-Ellis

I feel like now that I've finished 'EastEnders,' I want to do more TV programmes and explore more about deaf people's experiences.…

— Rose Ayling-Ellis

Saying 'no' is a privilege most people take for granted, I knew I would be the first deaf dancer and saying 'no'…

— Rose Ayling-Ellis

I love posh crisps, either cheese and onion or sweet chilli.

— Rose Ayling-Ellis

I like Otis Redding, Dusty Springfield, Marvin Gaye, Al Green.

— Rose Ayling-Ellis

It is not nice to feel frustrated and unheard.

— Rose Ayling-Ellis

I love crime dramas. They're horrible but I find them fascinating.

— Rose Ayling-Ellis

I hope I will do the deaf community proud and break down more barriers.

— Rose Ayling-Ellis

I am disabled because I live and work in a world that disables me.

— Rose Ayling-Ellis

It's almost like, I am political, without asking to be political.

— Rose Ayling-Ellis

I love being deaf because it's given me a purpose, it's given me something to aim for.

— Rose Ayling-Ellis

It's so normal for disabled people that we're used to fighting all the time, so it's nice not to.

— Rose Ayling-Ellis