Actress and former Strictly winner Rose Ayling-Ellis says it is “really exciting” to be the first deaf person to present a live sports broadcast on television.

The EastEnders star will be one of the presenters of Channel 4’s Paralympic Games, which begin in Paris next week.

Ayling-Ellis will host a daily show called Afternoon Live with Clare Balding from the Athletes’ Village, featuring live signing in British Sign Language (BSL).

The actress said the Paralympics were “a great opportunity to show people what we disabled people can achieve.”

Balding will be accompanied at the opening and closing ceremonies by sports reporter and former wheelchair basketball player Ade Adepitan and Paralympic swimming champion Ellie Simmonds.

Channel 4’s other presenters include former rugby union player Ed Jackson, racing driver turned pundit Billy Monger, BBC Radio 1 presenter Vick Hope and comedian Josh Pugh.

Ayling-Ellis said the Paralympics are “breaking down people’s barriers to understanding what we are capable of”.

“But really,” she added, “we shouldn’t try to prove that to people.”

“It’s really exciting that I’m the first deaf person to host a live sports show on television. People seem to think that hosting a show is also about hearing, but now I’m here to prove that it doesn’t have to be that way.”

The 29-year-old said she “trained a lot” before taking on her first job as a presenter.

“I didn’t realise how hard it was,” she said. “I started to panic a little and thought: What have I gotten myself into?

“But I really love it. I really enjoy it. I’m so happy to do it.”

Ayling-Ellis joined EastEnders in 2020 and became the first deaf contestant to compete on Strictly Come Dancing the following year. She left EastEnders in 2022.

She was also the first person to deliver a CBeebies bedtime story in sign language.

“My career so far has been pretty crazy and this job is a real challenge for me,” she continued.

“It’s such a big challenge. No deaf person has ever done this before. I think I’m addicted to being the first to do something and that’s what I want to do.”

Ayling-Ellis said that when she speaks to Paralympians, she does not want it to become “an inspirational story to make everyone else feel better about their lives.”

“Everyone should learn from this and understand more about disabilities and realize that this is all completely normal.”

Ayling-Ellis was also the first deaf person to deliver the Alternative MacTaggart Lecture at the Edinburgh TV Festival, and helped bring the first deaf Barbie to market.

Last year she made her West End debut in the Shakespearean romantic comedy As You Like It and was nominated for an Olivier Award for her performance.

Balding, who hosted Wimbledon and the Olympic Games this year, described the Paralympics as “the highlight of the summer of sport”.

She pointed out that many live presentations use talkback, a system that allows directors and editors to communicate with the presenters on the screen via an earpiece.

“So we are finding different ways to do things like this, and it is so important to take on this challenge and take new steps,” Balding said.

“When Paralympic athletes like Jonnie Peacock, Ellie Simmonds, Jodie Cundy or Lauren Steadman appeared on Strictly, the first question was: ‘Well, how?’ And now that Rose is working on a live programme, you might say: ‘How is a deaf presenter supposed to do that?’

“We’ll show you. We won’t tell you how, we’ll show you.”

Channel 4’s coverage of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games begins with the Opening Ceremony on August 28 and the Closing Ceremony on September 8.