Actress and former Strictly Come Dancing winner Rose Ayling-Ellis has made history as the first deaf person to host live sports coverage on television.
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The EastEnders star will be one of Channel 4’s hosts for the Paralympic Games in Paris, starting August 2024.
Ayling-Ellis, who will co-host the daily show Afternoon Live alongside Clare Balding from the Athletes’ Village, will bring live British Sign Language (BSL) signing to the coverage.
She expressed her excitement about this groundbreaking role, highlighting it as a chance to showcase the capabilities of disabled individuals.
The Paralympics, Ayling-Ellis said, is a platform to challenge perceptions and break barriers. “It’s really exciting that I am the first deaf person to host a live sports TV show. People often think hosting is tied to hearing, but I’m here to prove otherwise,” she stated.
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The Paralympic opening and closing ceremonies will also feature broadcaster and former wheelchair basketball player Ade Adepitan, Paralympic swimming champion Ellie Simmonds, former rugby union player Ed Jackson, racing driver-turned-pundit Billy Monger, BBC Radio 1 presenter Vick Hope, and comedian Josh Pugh.
Ayling-Ellis, who joined EastEnders in 2020 and left in 2022, became the first deaf contestant on Strictly Come Dancing and has previously delivered a CBeebies bedtime story in sign language.
She expressed both excitement and nervousness about her new role, noting the challenges of live presenting but also her enjoyment and commitment to proving that deafness does not limit one’s abilities.
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