History has been made by Rose Ayling-Ellis, who has been crowned the 2021 champion of Strictly Come Dancing - and the first deaf winner of the whole series. A suspenseful final round took place on the 18th of December, with Rose and her partner Giovanni Pernice against John Whaite and Johannes Radebe. When their victory was announced, Giovanni ecstatically praised Rose as, ‘the best teammate I could ask for’ and ‘a dream’. A survey from the National Deaf Children’s Society found that Rose’s visibility helped two-thirds of deaf children feel more confident about wearing their hearing aids, as well as helping seven in ten deaf children feel happier to talk about their own deafness. Rose Ayling-Ellis has become an inspiration for not only the deaf community, but the millions who have watched her grow during her Strictly Come Dancing experience, encouraging others to pursue their goals and have faith in themselves.

Source: The Guardian January 07, 2022 14:46 UTC