Strictly star's devastating split from boyfriend after 7 years - and romance rumours
Rose Ayling-Ellis, who made history as the first deaf contestant on Strictly Come Dancing, was in a relationship with Samuel Arnold for seven years before they split in 2022. The former EastEnders actress, who won the BBC show alongside Giovanni Pernice, spent increasing amounts of time away from Samuel, who is also deaf, due to her commitments on the Strictly tour.
A source confirmed their break up to The Sun in December 2022, stating that the pair would remain friends. "Rose and Sam's relationship is definitely over. It's very amicable, and they'll remain close friends, but unfortunately, there is no future for them romantically," the insider revealed. They added that the time apart while Rose was on tour had an impact on their relationship.
At the time, Rose's close bond with Giovanni fuelled romance rumours, with fans speculating that they were "in love". But the duo never engaged in the rumours and remained friends. Following her split from Samuel, Rose has reportedly been "throwing herself into work. "This summer, she secured a history-making role at the Paris Paralympics. She shared: "It is really exciting that I am the first deaf person to host a live sports TV show. People seem to think that hosting a show also has to do with hearing, but now I'm here to prove that it doesn't have to be."
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However, she admitted: "I didn't realise how hard it is. I panicked a bit and thought, what had I signed up for? But I really love it. I'm really enjoying it. I'm so excited to be doing it."
Rose is no stranger to live television and previously opened up about how Giovanni taught her routines on Strictly. She said ahead of the series: "I have a hearing aid, so I pick up some of the music, and I can hear the beat. I can hear someone singing, but I can't identify the exact words. I also feel the vibration."
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The actress also took the competition by storm, recording the earliest-ever perfect score of 40 marks in the show's history alongside her dance partner, Giovanni.
She and Giovanni's emotional silent routine to Zara Larson's Symphony went on to win the BAFTA TV award for Virgin TV's Must-See Moment as it went down in television history. Judge Anton Du Beke described it as "the greatest thing I've ever seen on the show".
When Rose won the series, after being hailed an "inspiration" by the judges, she said: "I've become more me than I've ever been because of Strictly."
