Strictly Come Dancing 2021: The show has its first ever deaf contestant

The celebrity line-up for the 19th series of Strictly Come Dancing is nearly complete and the latest famous face will make history as the show's first ever deaf contestant.

Rose Ayling-Ellis, who is a deaf actor on the popular soap Eastenders, has been confirmed for the new series which begins this autumn.

Rose first joined Eastenders last year as character Frankie Lewis.

She became the first ever deaf actor to play a deaf character on the soap, and will soon be swapping out her scripts for snazzy shoes and sparkly outfits as she takes to the Strictly dance floor.

The actor's upcoming appearance the show is an important one for the deaf community, something which Rose herself acknowledges.

"It is the hardest secret I have ever had to keep so it feels amazing to finally have this out in the open!" she said.

"I hope I will do the deaf community proud and break down more barriers. But I am also very excited to learn an incredible new skill and even better I get to learn whilst wearing beautiful dresses made especially for me!"

What have people said?

Rose joined the Eastenders cast in 2020

Rose's Strictly debut is also a big deal as some hope it could help challenge people's ideas around deafness and music.

Rosie Eggleston, from the National Deaf Children's Society, told Newsround: "We're really excited to see Rose joining Strictly and the show's deaf young fans will be absolutely thrilled too.

"Almost all deaf children and young people are born to hearing parents, and many are the only deaf person in their school or college, so they often struggle to meet others going through the same experiences.

"Deaf representation is all too rare on-screen, so it's really important to see a deaf performer taking to the dancefloor and battling for the famous Glitterball trophy. Opportunities like this help raise awareness of deafness and address some of the myths and misconceptions deaf people face every, such as that they can't enjoy music.

"It's also really inspiring for the next generation of deaf actors, actresses and performers, who can cheer her on at home knowing that deafness doesn't need to hold you back."

Rose Ayling-Ellis hopes to "break down more barriers" as part of this year's Striclty line-up

The disability equality charity Scope said it hopes Rose's appearance on Strictly will draw attention to some of the obstacles disabled people face.

"Barriers can be physical, like buildings not having accessible toilets. Or they can be caused by people's attitudes to difference, like assuming disabled people can't do certain things."

Annie Roberts from the RNID charity, told the Guardian that it will also help make deaf people's lives "more visible and understood" and challenge "outdated stereotypes".

"We hope that Rose's appearance will challenge the notion that deaf people can't engage with the rhythm of different dances or adapt themselves to the musicality of the performances,"