Strictly Come Dancing favourite Rose Ayling-Ellis is set to recreate her silent dance that “changed her life” in  Saturday's live final.

The Eastenders actress, 27, will take to the Strictly ballroom with her professional dance partner Giovanni Pernice, who has said he “didn’t want this to finish”.

Ayling-Ellis is the show’s first-ever deaf contestant and has been a front runner throughout the entire 2021 series.

The couple will perform their emotional contemporary routine which features 10 seconds of silence in tribute to the deaf community again during the live BBC show.

Giovanni Pernice, 31, spoke to It Takes Two presenter Rylan Clark following the announcement.

Pernice said: “The sound moment was so powerful and it got so much attention, Rose keeps saying the dance changed her life, it’s fair to do it again.

“It’s remarkable, when I watch a show back sometimes I completely forget she’s deaf because of the way she dances.

"I am a very, very proud teacher but more than that I am happy I discovered a fantastic friend for life.”

Unlike the semi-final where the remaining couples performed two dances, each of the finalists will take on three routines this weekend.

Rose and Giovanni will perform alongside TV presenter AJ Odudu and Kai Widdrington and former Bake Off winner John Whaite and Johannes Radebe.

“Our show dance is a celebration of me and Rose, our relationship together you know in a sense of we found this beautiful friendship and just that’s what we want to celebrate,” Pernice said.

During the press conference, the EastEnders actress commented on how she knew that the pair would make a good team since Pernice is Italian and “expressive” when he talks, making it easier for her to understand him.

Ayling-Ellis said: “I knew we would be a good team because one thing I really like about Giovanni is his track record and also Italians are very expressive and very diverse when they talk, there is no waffle or metaphors.

“He’s learnt so much and met me half way, he’s come into my world and respected who I am and he adapts his teaching around that, it works so well because sometimes when things don’t work he solves them, rather then trying to make it work.”

The actress went on to say that it was  “nerve-racking” and a “big pressure” being the first deaf contestant on the show but admitted that the experience has exceeded all of her expectations.

During last week's semi-final, the couple scored a perfect 40 on one of their two routines – an Argentine tango.

While their waltz earned them a score of 39 which is the highest score for that dance of the 2021 season.

The couple were tied at the top of the leaderboard with AJ and Kai who also scored an impressive 79 out of 80 across their two routines.

Pernice added: “For me, the highlight has been spending every day in the studio with Rose because of the positivity and the happiness that I have had every single day for 14 weeks, its been joyful and it’s the first time I’ve said I don’t want this to finish.

“I always say I’m the one who is privileged to be able to do this journey with her.

"If she was doing it with someone else, I would be quite jealous.”

The Strictly Come Dancing Final will air on Saturday, December 18 at 7 pm on BBC One.