Strictly Come Dancing star Rose Ayling-Ellis has shared a rare family photo to pay tribute to her "big brother" on his birthday.
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The EastEnders actress, who was crowned winner of the BBC ballroom competition in 2021 alongside her professional partner Giovanni Pernice, posted a sweet snap from her childhood to her Instagram Stories.
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The black and white photo shows Rose sat beside her big brother as children – how adorable? Rose wrote in the caption: "Happy birthday big brother" and added a number of star gifs as decoration.
Rose, 27, grew up in the coastal market town of Hythe in Kent with her parents and brother. Not much detail is known about Rose's family, as she prefers to keep them out of the spotlight.
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Rose shared this sweet photo to her Instagram
However, it was with her parent's encouragement that Rose discovered her passion for acting as a teenager. After taking part in an event run by National Deaf Children's Society, she met deaf film director Ted Evans, who later cast her in his award-winning short film The End.
Roles in Casualty, The Quiet Ones and Summer of Rockets, which also starred Keeley Hawes and Timothy Spall, followed and in 2020 she was cast as the first deaf actress to play a deaf character on EastEnders.
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The actress won Strictly in 2021
And, more recently, she wowed the judges and viewers alike with her fabulous moves on Strictly. Rose, who was the first deaf contestant on the popular show, and Giovanni were crowned winners in December 2021.
Although Rose's Strictly journey might be over, Giovanni will be returning to part in the 2022 series which has begun announcing its celebrity line-up.
So far, the famous faces who have been revealed are: Ellie Taylor, Tyler West, Matt Goss, Will Mellor, Kym Marsh, Kaye Adams, Jayde Adams, Richie Anderson and Ellie Simmonds OBE.
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