In 2021, Ayling-Ellis became the first deaf contestant on BBC's Strictly Come Dancing.[6] From September 2021, she participated in the show's nineteenth series, with professional Giovanni Pernice.[11][7] The pair scored 40 (full marks) for their tango in week six, which was the earliest "perfect score" in the show's history.[12] In week eight, their Couple's Choice dance featured a period of silence, included as a tribute to the deaf community. Described by judge Anton Du Beke as "the greatest thing I've ever seen on the show",[13][14] it earned them the 2021 Heat Unmissables Award for TV Moment of the Year.[15] They were crowned the winners on 18 December.[16] In an interview before the start of the series Ayling-Ellis said I have a hearing aid, so I pick up some of the music and I can hear the beat. I can hear someone singing, but I can't identify exact words.