rose ayling ellis giovanni pernice silent dance

Rose Ayling-Ellis leaves Strictly cast member in tears over iconic Giovanni Pernice dance

The Strictly stars' glory has gone down in history

Deputy Online Editor
February 8, 2022

Strictly Come Dancing star Rose Ayling-Ellis has been dominating headlines over the past few weeks following her amazing win, which has gone down in the show's history.

MORE: Rose Ayling-Ellis makes honest remark about 'crazy' Strictly experience

The 27-year-old - who was partnered up with Giovanni Pernice - became the first deaf person to compete and win the show, and last year, they performed a moving Couple's Choice to Zara Larsson's song Symphony, which left the audience and viewers at home in tears.

WATCH: Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice leave Strictly fans in tears with poignant dance

They paid respect and raised awareness for members of the deaf community when the music cut as they continued to dance in silence. The poignant routine was then repeated during the finale, which left fellow Strictly contestant Ugo Monye in tears.

MORE: Giovanni Pernice's deep connection and protectiveness over Rose Ayling-Ellis explained

READ: Rose Ayling-Ellis holds 'deep affection' for Giovanni Pernice - expert discusses relationship

Talking about feeling "exposed" when it comes to emotions, Ugo told the Express: "I was crying watching it live and I'd seen it before. I remember saying to Oti [Mabuse] at the time… that I didn't realise that dance can have an impact in the way in which it did on me that night.

"So what I took from it was: it's really important to try different things that you know might not be familiar or might be out of your comfort zone, because you just don't know how they'll connect with you."

© Photo: BBC

Rose and Giovanni during their couples choice dance

He added: "I didn't realise dance could connect with me in that way, and a 'guy that doesn't cry,' was suddenly crying watching someone dance."

The star's presence on Strictly has gone a long way to highlight the deaf community and their needs. The nationwide tour - which kicked off last month - has a registered British Sign Language interpreter for every performance, making this the "biggest ever BSL accessible arena tour" in the UK.

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