Strictly Come Dancing champion Rose Ayling-Ellis will be taking on a theatre role following her exit from EastEnders. The actress, 27, left her role as Frankie Lewis on the BBC One soap-opera in September.
Rose, who lifted the Strictly glitterball in 2021 with pro dancer Giovanni Pernice, will make her West End debut in the role of Celia in Shakespeare's As You Like It. She will star opposite Alfred Enoch (Harry Potter) and Leah Harvey (Foundation) in the production, which runs from Tuesday 6 December 2022 until Saturday 28 January 2023 at Soho Place in the West End.
Confirming the news on Instagram, Rose wrote: "I am thrilled to be going back to theatre with this talented group of people. Scary thought to be performing Shakespeare for the very first time playing Celia. I’m feeling privileged to be able to do this in this incredible new space. Can’t wait to get creative."
Read more: All signs point to EastEnders’ Rose Ayling-Ellis being the new Doctor Who companion
Rose's EastEnders exit saw her character depart Albert Square for a job opportunity in Scotland. Since then, the actress' popularity has surged amongst viewers and is associated with a number of different projects.
In August, the BBC confirmed that Rose would be fronting a new documentary that aims to to reveal the daily challenges, discrimination and barriers faced by the deaf community. You can read more about that here.
In the same month, Rose revealed that she had been working with Mattel - the company behind Barbie dolls - on a new doll with behind-the-ear hearing aids. The actress, who is deaf, said at the time: "It's so important for children to be able to see themselves represented in the toys they play with." For more showbiz and television stories get our newsletter here.
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