Former EastEnders star Rose Ayling-Ellis looks completely different in first-look photos from her role in ITV police drama Code of Silence.
The six-part series centres around Alison Woods (Ayling-Ellis), a Deaf catering worker who is struggling to make ends meet while supporting her Deaf mother Julie. She juggles two jobs, one of which is in a police canteen.
Alison is later plunged into "a new and exhilarating world" when DC Ashleigh Francis calls on her to lip-read the conversations of dangerous criminals. However, things become difficult when Alison finds herself drawn to Liam, one of the main suspects in the police investigation.
In new images obtained by The Sun, Ayling-Ellis looks unrecognisable from the set of the upcoming drama in St Albans.
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As she filmed scenes near the Fade to Black coffee shop at St Albans on Friday (September 20), Ayling-Ellis was photographed wearing a green fleece jacket, a grey oversized t-shirt dress and a comfy pair of crocs with socks.
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Her signature long hair has also been transformed for the role into a shorter, shoulder-length style.
Code of Silence has been created and written by Baptiste's Catherine Moulton, with production company Mammoth Screen on board to produce.
"I am so thrilled to be coming on board for Code of Silence and to get to work with the incredible team at Mammoth Screen," Ayling-Ellis previously said when the show was announced.
"When I first read Catherine Moulton's script it was obvious that her first-hand experiences and understanding has enabled her to write a truly authentic character and I knew I had to be a part of this project.
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"I am so delighted ITV are as excited as we are to bring this to life and I can't wait to get started!"
It's been a busy year for Ayling-Ellis. In May, she landed a role in groundbreaking BBC series Reunion, which is described as "an emotional thriller of revenge and redemption".
The majority of the cast and a number of crew members on the four-part series are either deaf or use British Sign Language.
The 2021 Strictly Come Dancing champion is also set to host a new documentary for the broadcaster, titled Signs for Living with Rose Ayling-Ellis, in which she'll teach BSL to a group of older people.
That's not all, as the actor recently co-hosted the afternoon segment of the 2024 Paralympic Games alongside Clare Balding – making her the first deaf person to host a live sports show.
Code of Silence is filming now.
Sara is an entertainment journalist who specialises in TV and film. After studying journalism at the University of Roehampton, Sara joined Digital Spy in 2023, writing news (and the occasional feature) on all things entertainment. She has also written for the culture desk at The Evening Standard. A lover of all things TV and film, Sara can wax lyrical about everything from Bridgerton to The Witcher. She can also recite entire episodes of New Girl, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Parks and Recreation. In her spare time, Sara loves to knit, crochet and cross-stitch. Also a musical theatre aficionado, Sara counts Samantha Barks as one of her heroes and is a loyal fan of Jodie Comer.
