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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Katherine Heslop

Strictly's Rose and Giovanni reunite on Comic Relief for 'beautiful dance'

Strictly Come Dancing winner Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice reunited in a stunning dance for Comic Relief this evening.

The pair performed a waltz along to Ellie Goulding's How Long Will I Love You, a routine they showcased in this year's series.

EastEnders actress Rose, 27, who is deaf, won hearts across the nation when she appeared on Strictly, going on to win the Glitterball Trophy.

Fans took to social media to praise the performance, with one person saying: "Best part of the night so far. those two, Rose always makes me emosh when she dances."

Another person said: "Beautiful beautiful dance. Still amazing."

Fans flocked to praise the pair's dance on Comic Relief (BBC)

A third person wrote: "Beautiful performance from Rose and Giovanni."

Speaking to the pair, host Sir Lenny Henry revealed this evening's performance was the first time the pair have danced together since their Strictly tour.

When asked how it felt to dance with Giovanni, Rose said: "It's really nice to dance together again because we went through a really special journey.

"So every time we pair up it brings happy memories, and we really enjoy dancing together. I really miss ballroom, I really enjoyed it."

Rose and GIovanni reunite on Comic Relief (BBC)

When asked about the response from the public following the show, Rose said: "It has been really nice. It has been nice to see my friends and family again.

"And I have spoken to quite a lot of people in the public and they come up to me, some of them start crying and get emotional and it's really sweet and I am like 'aw'. It's realising how much I have made an affect on everyone."

Comic Relief hosts Lenny Henry, Paddy McGuinness, Alesha Dixon and David Tennant (Twitter)

Giovanni, 31, when when asked if he had a message for people with disabilities who want to start dancing, said: "It doesn't have to stop anybody. If you really want to follow your dream, if you really love dancing, you just have to go and do it.

He added it had been a privilege to take part in the most recent Strictly final, saying it showed how "diverse and inclusive everyone can be."

Great British Bake Off winner John Whaite and partner Johannes Radebe were runners up in the series, and the first all-male pair to star in the show.

Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice during the Strictly Come Dancing Live Tour press launch (PA)

Comic Relief took an unexpected turn this evening when there was a technical glitch.

Lenny Henry, Alesha Dixon and Paddy McGuiness are hosting the charity show, which raises money for those in poverty all across the world, but as they tried to make a crossover to a special edition of Mind Mangler - inspired by The Play That Goes Wrong, a different clip was played, leaving everyone watching at home very puzzled.

There was a technical glitch in the special edition of Mind Mangler in Comic Relief (BBC)

Viewers at home were surprised to see a man standing on stage, initially thinking it was part of the act, before the feed cut back to the live show where Alesha and Paddy were standing on the main stage.

"20 minutes in and we already have a technical difficulties. We love it. #comicrelief," one viewer wrote online.

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