The Strictly Come Dancing 2021 winner features in the new Rose, Barbie and Friends campaign, which features a range of other different dolls. She is pictured alongside a cast of models who reflect the latest collection, which includes the first Ken doll with vitiligo, one with a prosthetic limb and another with a wheelchair. Mrs Ayling-Ellis, who was deaf from birth, explained how she would design hearing aids on her Barbies as a child to make them look like her. “It’s so important for kids to be able to see themselves represented in the games they play with,” she said. “So I’m excited that Mattel is releasing more dolls that encourage kids to celebrate and embrace their differences.” Before creating the toy, Mattel consulted with experts on how to accurately portray hearing aids. Rosie Eggleston, engagement manager at the National Deaf Children’s Society, said the charity was “delighted” the doll was out, describing it as a “really positive step towards inclusion”. “It will give all children a much greater appreciation of the diversity of people around them and give a window into the world of deafness,” he said. “This could really help them be proud of their deafness, celebrate wearing hearing aids and have new opportunities to talk to their friends about what it’s really like to be deaf.” Last month, Barbie unveiled a Dr Jane Goodall doll in honor of the conservationist, and in April she released one depicting the Queen. People will be able to buy the Barbie Fashionistas range in the UK from Thursday.
