The Strictly Come Dancing semi-final takes place this weekend – and surely there’s only one winner, Rose Ayling-Ellis!
The final four couples are all great and fans have said it will be difficult to pick a winner.
But Rose and professional partner Giovanni Pernice have continued to stay on top of the race for the Glitter Ball this year.
The pair have captured the hearts of the nation and I for one am all for them to win!
Here’s why Rose and Giovanni are the obvious Strictly winners this series.
Rose and Giovanni have already made Strictly history
The dynamic duo made Strictly history earlier this series when they scored a 40 in week si.
For Halloween week, Rose and Giovanni impressed us all with their passionate Tango to Ed Sheeran’s hit song Shivers.
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Their sensational performance won over the judges and, as result, they secured the show’s earliest 40 ever.
Since the performance, Giovanni has even been dubbed the “king of Halloween” as he’s topped the leaderboard on Halloween week every year since 2015.
Rose and Giovanni’s blossoming friendship
One thing that definitely makes Rose and Giovanni stand out is their close bond with each other.
Their strong connection has made their dance routines appear so much more special.
A source told New! magazine: “Rose and Giovanni have got a special kind of magic nobody could imagine. It’s very rare.”
And, after watching the show for years, I have to say I agree.
Viewers are also proud of Giovanni and his efforts to make Rose feel comfortable.
The professional dancer even learned some British Sign Language so they could communicate with each other better.
For a one-time lothario, fans are impressed with how far he’s gone to support Rose – and it’s clear that she’s changing him for the better.
The first deaf contestant to compete on Strictly
Music is such a core part of Strictly, it’s important that the contestants feel the music and dance in time with the beat.
Rose, on the other hand, has impressively learned to dance without it.
The EastEnders star is a member of the deaf community and a BSL user, so she can’t actually hear the music, but she can feel the beat and vibrations.
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On the spin-off show It Takes Two, Giovanni explained that Rose uses muscle memory to learn dances without hearing the music.
This impressive technique requires a lot of hard work and effort.
Giovanni even admitted that he found it hard to do it for only 10 seconds!
Surely that fact alone makes her a worthy (or only) contender to lift the Glitter Ball.
Gio also commented: “Working with Rose on Strictly has just been incredible.
“Of course she’s an absolute inspiration to me, but also for so many in the deaf community and beyond.”
Rose’s appearance on Strictly is representing millions who are part of the hard of hearing and deaf community – how good would it be to go one step further and really celebrate that representation with a trophy!
Rose told This Morning: “I feel good because for so long deaf people were always isolated and not really part of British society.
“The more people that understand, the more people will communicate with each other.”
Unforgettable silent Strictly performance by Rose and Giovanni
Rose and Giovanni blew everyone away with their emotional silent performance.
Giovanni embraced Rose’s gift of being able to feel the music and incorporated it into their dance for the Couple’s Choice.
The pair performed an incredible contemporary dance to Symphony by Clean Bandit and included 10 seconds of silence as a tribute to the deaf community.
Their beautiful routine left many of the audience in tears, including Motsi Mabuse, who said: “In this case, I honestly feel like saying thank you.
“I think this is such beautiful moment to include is in your world.”
It was a monumental performance and a really special moment for members of the deaf community.
If I were a betting girl, I’d most definitely be having a punt on Rose and Giovanni to lift the 2021 Strictly Come Dancing Glitter Ball.
In my view, there really is no more deserving winner than the girl from the East End who’s captured our hearts.
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