Strictly fans praise guest judge Cynthia Erivo for using sign language with Rose Ayling-Ellis
The Academy Award nominee was filling in for Craig Revel Horwood.
Strictly Come Dancing fans have praised guest judge Cynthia Erivo for giving some of her feedback to Rose Ayling-Ellis in British sign language.
The acclaimed star of stage and screen, who earned two Academy Award nominations in 2019 for her work on a Harriet Tubman biopic, was impressed by the latest dance from Rose and her pro partner Giovanni Pernice.
She began her feedback on the quickstep to Love Is An Open Door from Frozen, by describing the routine as "joyful", conveying the word first in sign language before repeating it audibly.
Many viewers were impressed with the effortless way she integrated sign language into her comments, amid a surge in interest in the sought after skill partly fuelled by Rose's appearance on Strictly.
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Several viewers took to social media to praise Erivo for her inclusive comments, with some even suggesting that she should be made a permanent member of the Strictly Come Dancing panel.
Alas, that's unlikely to happen given Erivo's busy career in film and television, with upcoming projects including Disney's live-action Pinocchio remake and the Luther film adaptation with Idris Elba.
But hey, we can dream!
Ultimately, Ayling-Ellis scored 37 points overall, one of her highest scores of the series to date, despite a minor imperfection in the routine (which partner Pernice took responsibility for).
The renewed focus on British Sign Language (BSL) that has resulted from Strictly Come Dancing 2021 is proving emotional to some viewers, with at least one being brought to tears by Erivo's demonstration last night.
In an interview carried out before the show, co-host Claudia Winkleman said that "representation is everything" on Strictly Come Dancing, praising efforts to make the show more inclusive than ever before.
Strictly Come Dancing continues next Saturday at 6:55pm on BBC One. Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what else is on.
