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Katherine Heslop & Sonia Sharma

Strictly winners Rose and Giovanni reunite for stunning dance on Comic Relief

Strictly Come Dancing winners Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice reunited for a "beautiful dance" for Comic Relief.

The pair performed a waltz along to Ellie Goulding's How Long Will I Love You, a routine they showcased in this year's series. EastEnders actress Rose, 27, who is deaf, won hearts across the nation when she appeared on Strictly, going on to win the Glitterball Trophy on the BBC talent show.

Fans took to social media to praise the Comic Relief performance on Friday night, with one person saying: "Best part of the night so far. those two, Rose always makes me emosh when she dances."

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Another person said: "Beautiful beautiful dance. Still amazing." A third person wrote: "Beautiful performance from Rose and Giovanni."

Speaking to the pair, host Sir Lenny Henry revealed the performance was the first time the pair had danced together since their Strictly tour. When asked how it felt to dance with Giovanni, Rose said: "It's really nice to dance together again because we went through a really special journey.

Giovanni and Rose on the BBC's Comic Relief (BBC)

"So every time we pair up it brings happy memories, and we really enjoy dancing together. I really miss ballroom, I really enjoyed it."

When asked about the response from the public following the show, Rose said: "It has been really nice. It has been nice to see my friends and family again.

"And I have spoken to quite a lot of people in the public and they come up to me, some of them start crying and get emotional and it's really sweet and I am like 'aw'. It's realising how much I have made an affect on everyone."

Giovanni, 31, when asked if he had a message for people with disabilities who want to start dancing, said: "It doesn't have to stop anybody. If you really want to follow your dream, if you really love dancing, you just have to go and do it.

He added it had been a privilege to take part in the most recent Strictly final, saying it showed how "diverse and inclusive everyone can be."

Comic Relief took an unexpected turn when there was a technical glitch during the programme, reports The Mirror. Lenny Henry, Alesha Dixon and Paddy McGuiness were hosting the charity show, which raises money for those in poverty all across the world, but as they tried to make a crossover to a special edition of Mind Mangler - inspired by The Play That Goes Wrong, a different clip was played, leaving everyone watching at home very puzzled.

Viewers at home were surprised to see a man standing on stage, initially thinking it was part of the act, before the feed cut back to the live show where Alesha and Paddy were standing on the main stage. "20 minutes in and we already have technical difficulties. We love it. #comicrelief," one viewer wrote online.

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