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Why did EastEnders star Rose Ayling-Ellis quit soap as Frankie Lewis?
18 August 2022, 15:24 | Updated: 18 August 2022, 15:27
Has Rose Ayling-Ellis quit EastEnders? And when is her last scene? Here's what we know...
Eastenders star Rose Ayling-Ellis has announced she has quit the BBC soap, and has already filmed her last scene.
The 27-year-old - who won Strictly Come Dancing last year - plays Frankie Lewis and is the first deaf actor to play a regular character on the soap.
But why has Rose quit EastEnders and what will happen to her character? Here’s what we know…
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Why has Rose Ayling-Ellis quit EastEnders?
Rose released an emotional statement explaining why she has decided to leave her permanent role in EastEnders.
She said: “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.”
The actress has been enjoying lots of success after her Strictly win, including fronting a campaign which unveiled the first Barbie with hearing aids.
When is Rose leaving EastEnders?
It hasn’t yet been confirmed when viewers will see Rose’s character Frankie leave EastEnders.
But her on-screen dad Danny Dyer - who plays Mick Carter - is also leaving the show at the end of the year, with many fans speculating they could leave together.
And it seems the exit could happen a lot sooner than expected as Rose has seemingly already filmed her final scenes.
The star took to Instagram to share a series of photos of herself posing on the set from her first to her last day.
"Start from my very last day on the square," she captioned it, continuing: "To my first successful pint in The Vic and end with the first photo of Frankie. It’s been incredibly special to be @bbceastenders 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."
Will Rose return to EastEnders?
It’s unclear whether the door will be left open for Rose to return or whether Frankie will be killed off in the soap.
Since joining in 2020, Rose has been involved in some big storylines, including Frankie discovering she is the daughter of Mick, who was abused as a child.
While we don't know much about her exit, what we do know is that Rose’s character will be greatly missed.
