“Audience Member Kicked Out of Live Show After Vile Heckling of Rose Ayling-Ellis”

Rose Ayling-Ellis, a 28-year-old Strictly Come Dancing star, shared a shocking incident that occurred on stage yesterday on her Instagram. She is currently starring in Shakespeare’s As You Like It on the West End. At the Soho Place Theatre, all performances are captioned, with members of the cast using British Sign Language (BSL) as part of their performance. Rose, who made history in 2021 with partner Giovanni Pernice by becoming the first deaf contestant to win the BBC competition, stars as Celia in her West End debut. During the matinee yesterday, a man in the audience began to scream that the cast was ‘discriminating against hearing people’. He looked at Rose directly, which she described as ‘shocking’. The audience’s reaction was captured in a video, which Rose shared on Instagram. She also noted that there was a little deaf girl in the front row with her parents signing to her. Rose concluded her post by expressing her appreciation for accessible theatre and thanking the person who shouted back and received a round of applause. Her followers and friends sent messages of support in the comments section. Fellow Strictly co-star Dan Walker simply wrote, “What a numptie,” while finalist AJ Odudu wrote, “Incredible Rose. More power to ya.” Rose’s post serves as a reminder of the importance of accessible theatre and the need to create a safe and inclusive environment for all.