Rose Ayling-Ellis has opened up about her Strictly Come Dancing partner Giovanni Pernice's best qualities - and it's so unexpected!
MORE: Strictly's Giovanni Pernice mocks Rose Ayling-Ellis on dinner date - watch
The soap star, who is gearing up for this weekend's grand finale alongside her professional partner, was chatting to Rylan Clark at this week's Strictly press conference when she was asked whether she had any preconceptions about Giovanni before they began dancing together.
WATCH: Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice share cute moment together
While she was confident they were "going to be a good team," she actually admitted that she didn't know what to expect besides the fact that Giovanni - who has come close to winning the show three occasions in the past - "has a good track record".
MORE: Everything you need to know about Strictly star Rose Ayling-Ellis' boyfriend
MORE: Strictly's Giovanni Pernice hails Rose Ayling-Ellis partnership as his 'best one yet'
She then revealed that the other thing she came into the competition knowing about Giovanni was that he was Italian - which actually was a huge plus for her.
Rose opened up about the Giovanni's best qualities
She explained to HELLO! and other press at the virtual event: "In the deaf community, we know that Italians are very expressive and they're very direct in the way they talk. They just say what it is, they don't waffle or use metaphors because that just doesn't work for deaf people."
Rose and Giovanni are hoping to take home the Glitterball Trophy this weekend
However, the EastEnders actress who is the BBC show's first-ever deaf contestant, added that it didn't take long for her to discover all of Giovanni's other incredible qualities too.
MORE: Strictly's Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice spark reaction with near kiss during rehearsals
She explained: "When we paired up, it was then that I realised that [Giovanni is] so funny and we have a similar sense of humour. I've really enjoyed my time with Giovanni. He's a really good teacher and he can have fun."
While Giovanni has never actually won the coveted Glitterball trophy, he has made it to the final three times over the years – an amazing feat for a pro who has been on the show for six years.
Like this story? Sign up to our newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox
