Strictly Come Dancing champion Rose Ayling-Ellis has announced she is leaving EastEnders after two years with the BBC soap.

Rose began playing Frankie Lewis in 2020, becoming the first deaf actor to play a regular character on the soap.

On Thursday afternoon, the Bafta winner revealed she was stepping down from the role, just over a year after it was first announced she had signed up for last year’s series of Strictly.

She explained: “It’s been incredibly special to be EastEnders’ first regular deaf actor. I have loved my time on the show and Frankie has been such an awesome character to play, however now feels like the right time for me to move on and I am excited and ready for new challenges.

“I will always treasure my time on the show and all the incredible people I have worked with, who have supported my growth as an actor these last two years and given me so many amazing memories.

“I am excited for viewers to see Frankie’s exit storyline; I think it’s a really important one that will hit home for lots of people.”

Frankie will leave Walford this autumn, with Rose’s final scenes in the role having already been filmed.

Rose is probably best known for her participation in the most recent series of Strictly, which she won alongside Giovanni Pernice.

As well as being the first deaf contestant to ever compete on the long-running reality show, Rose and Giovanni later bagged a TV Bafta for the Must-See TV Moment thanks to their stunning Couple’s Choice routine.

Earlier this week, Rose teamed up with Barbie to launch the brand’s first doll who has behind-the-ear hearing aids.