Strictly 2021 final: Rose Ayling-Ellis win watched by 11million

A staggering 11million people tuned in to watch Rose Ayling-Ellis make Strictly Come Dancing history last night.

The EastEnders actress triumphed in the BBC One show alongside partner Giovanni Pernice, becoming the first deaf contestant to not only take part, but win the series too.

Rose fought off competition from Great British Bake Off winner John Whaite and his partner Johannes Radebe, the first all-male pairing on the show, with an average of 11million people tuning in on all of the action.

The show peaked with 12.3 million watching.

Ratings have increased over the series and the numbers for the final mark a significant increase on the launch show in September, which was watched by an average of seven million viewers.

Disability equality charity Scope has described Rose’s participation in the show as a ‘massive step forward’ for disability representation.

Meanwhile, Stonewall applauded John and Johannes for bringing visibility to same-sex couples following Saturday night’s final.

‘We were delighted to see John and Johannes wow the nation with their fantastic performances in yesterday’s wonderfully diverse final,’ a Stonewall spokesperson told Metro.co.uk.

‘We can’t be what we can’t see and seeing two same-sex dancers delight viewers throughout this series will mean so much to LGBTQ+ people across the country.’ 

During the live final, which went ahead without contestant AJ Odudu who pulled out on Friday due to an ankle injury, both couples performed three dances.

Both Rose and John had matching scores during the final, with both receiving a perfect 40 for their revisited favourite dances and their showdances.

However, the judges’ marks did not count towards the final result, which was solely down to the public vote.

Strictly Come Dancing is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

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