Reigning Strictly champions and are discussing their favourite tracks.
We’re used to them being extraordinarily in sync, but there’s a difference of opinion here.Giovanni says the song 9 To 5 is his surefire winner. Rose isn’t having it.
‘I like Jolene. Or Dumb Blonde,’ she counters. The actress is only 27, but admits her musical tastes are ‘quite old-school’ and, Dolly aside, lean towards soul.
‘I like Otis Redding, Dusty Springfield, Marvin Gaye, Al Green. I like to blast the music so loud in my car that people outside look at me like I’m a weirdo.’
Bang goes the idea that being deaf is a barrier to musical appreciation. But how can she love it, or prefer one type over another, if she’s been profoundly deaf since birth?
Reigning champions Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice (pictured) are set to lead the annual Strictly tour
She isn’t comfortable with the idea she’s developed compensatory sensory skills (‘I’m not a superhero!’) but explains it in terms of ‘just having a different experience’.
Nor is at as easy as saying she feels the vibrations, though that is an element.With technological advances, she can ‘pick out’ some sound. She can tell, for instance, if someone is singing (though she couldn’t identify the words).
It’s complicated to explain to a hearing person, but the lesson from listening to her explain Watch All Channels Abroad this is a powerful one: be careful where you use the word ‘can’t’.
For many, Rose was a role model even before she stepped onto the Strictly dancefloor as its first-ever deaf contestant.
Her role in EastEnders had already catapulted her into the world of primetime TV — an unusual place for a deaf actress to be. She points out that when she was growing up in Kent, attending a mainstream school (albeit one with a specialist deaf unit), she did not see a single hearing-impaired actor on TV.
‘There were a lot of deaf people trying to get into the industry, who had broken down certain barriers and doors — allowing me to actually get onto Strictly.But when I was growing up they weren’t visible because they weren’t mainstream. I grew up in a hearing environment and didn’t learn about them until much later.’
No deaf child will ever have to say that again though, thanks to Rose.On Strictly she captivated viewers with her poise and progress, winning our hearts on her way to lifting the glitterball and doing more for deaf awareness and inclusivity than anyone in living memory.