Strictly Come Dancing star announced as new Loose Women panellist for show special

Strictly Come Dancing winner Rose Ayling-Ellis has been announced as the newest Loose Women panellist.

On Tuesday, the ITV series announced the EastEnders actress will join the panel for a special to mark Deaf Awareness Week on Wednesday, May 3.

The TV star will alongside Nadia Sawalha, Jane Moore and Kaye Adams for the one-off. Previously Adams has shared her own hearing loss journey, which resulted in her needing to wear a hearing aid.

Viewers will be able to watch the show with subtitles while a fully accessible version will be available on ITVX with subtitles and an ‘in vision’ signer.

For the special, the lunchtime talk show is working with Royal National Institute for Deaf People, Sign Health and The Deaf Collective

The show’s audience will be made up of members of the deaf community, along with family, friends and BSL signers, with captions available to the audience to make the live show accessible.

The former soap star has previously spoken candidly about her experiences as a deaf person, both in her personal life and as part of the entertainment industry.

She recently campaigned to have British Sign Language (BSL) become a legally recognised language in England, Wales and Scotland.

Ayling-Ellis won the hearts of the nation in 2021 when she became the first ever deaf contestant to compete and win Strictly Come Dancing with professional partner Giovanni Pernice.

Following her stint on the BBC ballroom series, she announced her departure from EastEnders and bid adieu to her role as Frankie Lewis.

More recently, the actress has been wowing critics and audiences in a West End production of Shakespeare’s As You Like It.

She also reunited on screen with her former pro partner for his and Strictly judge Anton Du Beke’s BBC travel show, Anton & Giovanni's Adventures in Sicily.

Watch the Loose Women Deaf Awareness Week special on Wednesday, May 3 at 12.30pm on ITV1 & ITVX