Strictly Come Dancing star Rose Ayling-Ellis says she is ‘terrified’ and it 'feels like the end’ as Giovanni Pernice was forced to step in and comfort her with a loving message.
The former Eastenders star, who swept to Strictly victory in 2022 alongside pro dancing partner Gio, has long been an advocate for people with hearing loss and her ‘deaf dance’ on Strictly was widely praised.
But now Rose has admitted feeling ‘heartbroken’ as she unleashed a furious rant about a medical breakthrough which could cure deaf children.
Rose Ayling-Ellis said: “Here is a photo of me as a toddler. If I had been born a couple of years later, my life could have been very different.
“Today, it was reported that a gene therapy trial has taken place. I knew that it was going to happen, but I didn’t expect it so soon. My first reaction was feeling terrified and heartbroken. It feels like the end. Let me explain why.
“Imagine a world where everyone is “normal”. What will become of our story, our culture, language, and identity? Will we be the last deaf generation and end up in a museum somewhere?
“Deaf people have existed throughout human history. Who decides that their lives are not worth being integrated into society? Who assumes that we want to be “fixed”? Where will they draw the line?
“Will all the hard work that deaf people fought for inclusivity be thrown out of the window? Why would society meet us halfway now they are the “cure”?
“A cure is defined as “relieving a person of the symptoms of a disease or condition”. My deafness is not a disease or a condition. I don’t need relief from it. My deafness has given me many opportunities, and my life is richer because of it. Why would I want that to be gone?
“There are many deaf people out there that are doing great things! Why should we tell them that they are broken when, in fact, they are winning?
“To add insult to injury, this was released during Deaf Awareness Week. The week should be about embracing and spreading awareness about our culture. Not something to overcome.
“Can you help me out here? Let’s spread positivity. Leave a comment about your favourite thing about being deaf or being with deaf people?”
Rose then added a qualifier about the family who chose to restore their baby’s hearing, as she said; “Please respect the decision made by the family for their little girl. Like any parent, they are doing what they believe is best for their child. This is not a rant directed towards them in any way. Rather, it is a rant directed towards the society that makes us all believe that being deaf will only bring us suffering, when in reality, it is quite the opposite.”
Rose Ayling-Ellis’ Strictly partner during their landmark 2022 win, Giovanni Pernice, replied to Rose’s upset rant with a loving message.
He sent her three red heart emojis in the comments as well as liking the post.
But fans didn’t all agree with Rose’s words, with some telling her they would not choose their children to be deaf.
@alaurell1 said: “I have 2 deaf children. This news has brought me joy. You would never choose for your children to be deaf. It’s an amazing advancement in Science.”
@ryanpengellymusic said: “It's not easy being debilitated or perhaps even in a minority group. Now i couldn't think of a more useless argument to prevent hearing loss than this one. i can see why it would leave the public in lieu / in economic struggles to afford this treatment, however. And, the resistance of gene therapy is a losing argument, inevitably.”
@jakebroughton said: “I really like you, but I think this is an awfully self serving post.”
But some fans backed her, as @jsscmy said: “Absolutely behind you on this rose ! “
And @sassyt73 said: “Because of the deaf community my son was able to find his voice when he lost it to progressive mutism. BSL is such a rich language that enables him to truly express himself in a way no AAC can ant. THAT is only because the deaf community exists and their language exists. Such a rich culture thar in a small way let my son have a way to express himself, although not deaf without it we'd have lost even more.”
