Is Rose Ayling-Ellis the New Doctor Who Companion?

Hi Whovians! If you’re in the know about all things Doctor Who news, then you probably know that actress Rose Ayling-Ellis has been heavily rumored to have been cast as the fifteenth Doctor’s companion in Series 14 of Doctor Who. But first…

Who is Rose Ayling-Ellis?

Rose Lucinda Ayling-Ellis is a deaf British actress. Born deaf in Kent, England, she grew up using British Sign Language and wearing a hearing aid. Rose is best known for her role in the long-running BBC soap opera EastEnders as Frankie Lewis. She also won the 2021 season of Strictly Come Dancing (aka England’s version of Dancing With the Stars) after a beautiful couple’s choice dance which featured a segment of silence to represent the actress’s disability. She has also had some minor roles such as a guest starring role on the long-running medical drama series Casualty and a recurring role on the limited historical drama series Summer of Rockets. She was also featured in the launch of the first Barbie doll with a hearing aid.

Why She Might Be The New Companion

On August 18th, 2022, Rose announced her departure from EastEnders after two years on the show, stating that “now feels like the right time to move on and [she is] excited and ready for new challenges.” Around the time of the announcement, some fans noticed that Rose started following Ncuti Gatwa, Russell T Davies, and Andy Pryor (Doctor Who’s casting director) on Instagram. While this could’ve been seen as just a coincidence, there seems to be a lot more to it than that.

Earlier in the year, it was stated by Doctor Who casting director Andy Pryor that they were searching for disabled actors and actresses to audition for “roles that aren’t necessarily written as disabled.” It’s also well known that Who likes to cast generally unknown actors and actresses in companion roles. It definitely gives hope to the Rose rumors.

The rumor gained so much traction that Metro and the Daily Mirror reported on it. Written by Nicola Methven, a frequent Doctor Who reporter for the Mirror who is seen as very reliable, the story neither confirms nor denies Rose’s involvement in the show.

And if anything, Rose herself confirmed that she likely has some involvement in Doctor Who. After the rumor went viral, she stated, “You will find out more at the end of this month. I’m not allowed to say anything.” Some fans interpreted this as Rose confirming her role without actually confirming anything.

It was also noted by some fans that the companions for Series 11 (Yaz, Ryan, and Graham) we’re announced just before or during the promotion for Twice Upon a Time. With promo for the Centenary special expected to begin in late August or early September, it would line up for a potential casting announcement at the end of the month.

Another young woman who is rumored to be joining the show is singer-songwriter Jade Thirlwall, known for being one of the four members of the now-disbanded girl group Little Mix and, if true, would be making her acting debut in Doctor Who. I briefly mentioned her in my post about my picks for the next companion, but the level of the rumors surrounding her are nearly the same as the level of the rumors surrounding Rose. I think it’s highly possible that either or both of them could be joining the show for Series 14.

My Thoughts & Conclusion

I would honestly be so delighted to see Rose play Ncuti’s companion. As a hard of hearing person myself, seeing myself be represented on Doctor Who, my favorite show of all time, would be a dream. I’m interested as to how a disabled companion will be written. Very hopeful to see this rumor come true!

Thank you for reading, and I suppose we’ll find out whether or not we have our next companion by the end of the month!

Edit: So as it turns out, Rose’s new projects are a BBC documentary and a comedy-drama series. Some fans aren’t giving up hope though, as she is still working with the BBC and believe she is pulling an “Andrew Garfield/Catherine Tate” (aka, lying about not being in the show), so only time will tell.

Edit 2: The new companion is Coronation Street actress Millie Gibson! She will be playing a character called Ruby Sunday. Hopefully Rose can play a companion in the future!

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