Strictly Come Dancing champion and soap star Rose Ayling-Ellis has spoken out about some Doctor Who casting rumours.
It was recently announced the deaf actress would be leaving her role on EastEnders after two years on the soap and as a result fans began speculating about where her career could be headed next.
Rumours quickly began circulating online about the soap star being cast as the next Doctor Who companion, working alongside Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa. Addressing the Doctor Who hearsay at the Edinburgh TV Festival, Ayling-Ellis has now cleared things up.
Related: The Sandman's Jenna Coleman teases possible Doctor Who return
The actress insisted there was "no truth" to the rumours which she believes originated on social media.
"I think it was a rumour which started on Twitter, and it just got bigger and bigger and now it's everywhere," she told Sky News.
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Despite revealing she hasn't signed-up to play a Doctor Who companion, the actress hinted she may be up for taking on the role if she were ever offered it in the future: "It sounds like a great job!"
If Ayling-Ellis was cast as Gatwa's time-travelling partner in the hit BBC sci-fi, she'd be the first companion with a disability to feature on the show.
Related: Doctor Who's Russell T Davies shares touching tribute to Bernard Cribbins
She's no stranger to making TV history as she became Strictly's first deaf contestant last year, before going on to win the series with her professional partner Giovanni Pernice. Similarly, when she joined EastEnders as Frankie Lewis in 2020, Ayling-Ellis became the first deaf actor to play a regular deaf character on the BBC soap.
Doctor Who fans are currently gearing themselves up for a special feature-length episode this Autumn which will mark the BBC's centenary. The special will see Jodie Whittaker bow out as The Doctor as her incarnation of the iconic sci-fi character is set to regenerate.
Doctor Who's next special premieres in October 2022 on BBC One in the UK. In the US, the show airs on BBC America, with series 1-12 available on HBO Max.
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