EastEnders star Rose Ayling-Ellis shares set secret

EastEnders actress Rose Ayling-Ellis has shared a behind-the-scenes set secret after confirming she's leaving the soap.

Last week the soap confirmed that Frankie Lewis would be exiting this autumn and that Rose had already filmed her final scenes.

In an interview with The Mirror, the star revealed a surprising set secret that fans of the show would never have guessed.

BBC

According to Ayling-Ellis, the washing machines in the launderette have to be manually turned to make it look like they are actually working.

"You know the washing machines in the laundrette? Well, they have a man behind them who winds them up to make them look like they're real washing machines," she explained.

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"There is literally someone behind it who is turning the washing machine round and round. I didn’t know that when I started and I was like, 'Ooh!'"

BBC

Rose has played Frankie Lewis on the soap since 2020, she was the first deaf actor to play a regular deaf character on the BBC show.

Speaking about her exit, Rose 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."

EastEnders airs on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One, with some episodes airing on BBC Two during summer sporting events. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer.