Strictly: Reigning champion Rose Ayling-Ellis shares her 2022 winner prediction

Strictly Come Dancing star Rose Ayling-Ellis has revealed who she thinks will win the 2022 series.

The EastEnders actor is the reigning Strictly champ, having won the Glitterball Trophy in 2021 with partner Giovanni Pernice.

Ayling-Ellis, who is deaf, wowed the judges and audiences throughout the competition, but was best known for her Couple’s Choice routine to “Symphony” by Clean Bandit.

During the performance, the pair danced a stretch of the routine in total silence, to recreate Ayling-Ellis’s experience of dancing without being able to hear the music for the audience.

Appearing on This Morning on Wednesday (16 November), Ayling-Ellis recalled her experience on the show and admitted that she “can’t believe it’s been one year”.

“Everyone still remembers it, everyone still knows that dance,” the 27-year-old said.

“It does send out a powerful message, but I want to carry on with the work. That’s what’s most important to manage. It doesn’t just stop there… I think it made people realise that I’m more capable than I seem. And now I’ve got more opportunities because of that.”

Ayling-Ellis on ‘Strictly’

(PA Media)

Host Holly Willoughby then asked Ayling-Ellis who she thought would win the new series, with the actor looking uncomfortable.

Summoning an answer, she said: “Last week, I did say, I think Hamza [Yassin].

“He’s such a beautiful dancer, really lovely. I met him personally and his heart is so big. So lovely.”

Wildlife presenter Yassin has become a dark horse of this year’s Strictly competition, after wowing judges alongside partner Jowita Przystał with their Salsa and last week’s Afrobeats-inspired Couple’s Choice.

Yassin and partner Jowita Przystal

(BBC/Guy Levy)

The camera operator and Countryfile guest presenter, who moved to the UK from Sudan when he was eight and now lives in the Scottish Highlands, is the bookies’ favourite to win Strictly 2022, followed by Helen Skelton and Will Mellor.

This week’s episode will see the remaining contestants perform in the Tower Ballroom, as the show returns to Blackpool for the first time since 2019.

However, they will be missing Tony Adams, who was forced to withdraw from the competition last week after injuring himself during his Jive.

The former Arsenal player had been due to face Tyler West in the dance-off.

Strictly Come Dancing continues Saturday 19 November at 7.45pm on BBC One.