Language barriers

Rose Ayling-Ellis shines a light on the reality of being deaf

- CAREN CLARK, NATASHA HOLT, IAN MACEWAN

NEW FACTUAL
Rose Ayling-Ellis: Signs for Change
Monday, 9pm, BBC1

After actor Rose Ayling-Ellis’ showstopping turn on Strictly Come Dancing in 2021, there was a huge increase in people wanting to learn sign language, while a bill was passed in Parliament last year that legally recognised British Sign Language.

But now, in BBC1 documentary Rose Ayling-Ellis: Signs for Change, the former EastEnders star, who has been deaf since birth, looks at the challenges the deaf community still faces and the options they have in how they communicate.

Here, Ayling-Ellis, 28, tells us more…

Why did you want to make the film?