Strictly star's devastating split from boyfriend after 7 years - and romance rumours

ok.co.uk:

Rose Ayling-Ellis, who made history as the first deaf contestant on Strictly Come Dancing, was in a relationship with Samuel Arnold for seven years before they split in 2022.The former EastEnders actress, who won the BBC show alongside Giovanni Pernice, spent increasing amounts of time away from Samuel, who is also deaf, due to her commitments on the Strictly tour.

A source confirmed their break up to The Sun in December 2022, stating that the pair would remain friends. "Rose and Sam's relationship is definitely over.

It's very amicable, and they'll remain close friends, but unfortunately, there is no future for them romantically," the insider revealed.They added that the time apart while Rose was on tour had an impact on their relationship.

At the time, Rose's close bond with Giovanni fuelled romance rumours, with fans speculating that they were "in love". But the duo never engaged in the rumours and remained friends.