Having made history by becoming the first model with Down’s syndrome to appear on the cover of Vogue Italia, Ellie Goldstein is no stranger to breaking barriers and changing the landscape for people with disabilities.
But the 23-year-old’s latest escapade really puts the icing on the cake. Last week she stepped into the Celebrity Bake Off tent to take part in The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer series.
Viewers saw Ellie, who was born into a Jewish family in Ilford, Essex, tasked with creating brandy snaps. True to her style, she took it to the next level – shaping her creations them into ice-cream cones and topping them with scoops of chocolate ice cream – a culinary flourish that left notoriously hard-to-please judge Paul Hollywood drooling.
With typical modesty, rather than focusing on the praise she received, Ellie recalls a humorous moment during her time on the show. “The highlight of my episode was the fun I had,” she says giggling. “I did an arm wrestle with [presenter] Alison Hammond.”
Ellie with her fellow Great British Bake Off contestants[Missing Credit]
Her novelty cake creation – she called it the “Secret Diary Cake” (a nod to her modelling and acting career) – was the episode’s showstopper. Complete with a fondant-covered “diary” and other playful decorations, it provided a fabulous visual symbol for the story Ellie has to tell the world: one of breaking barriers, following dreams, and celebrating her authentic self.
But while the cake won the plaudits it was Ellie’s unwavering joie de vivre that stole the spotlight.
Ellie – who says she “felt honoured and proud of myself to be on the cover of Vogue" – has long exuded self-assurance and it is this that has help propel her through her already exceptional career. From being scouted at the Photo Vogue Festival in 2019 to modelling for international campaigns for industry giants such as Gucci, Ellie has proven that while her talent and beauty are undeniable, it’s her heart that truly sets her apart.
And true to form, she is passionate about using her platform to increase representation and change perceptions about disabilities in the TV industry. “I want to see more diversity. And I think people need to see what I can achieve,” she says.
Her mother Yvonne recalls that Ellie always had huge dreams. “Ellie always said, ‘I want to be famous. I want to be a model,’” Yvonne recalls. “Lots of my friends always said, ‘She’ll definitely break into the industry.’”
But despite her friends’ confidence in her, Yvonne still admits to feeling overwhelmed by her daughter’s incredible success. “Ellie has worked for literally everyone – Gucci, Vogue. It’s just incredible, really. When people talk about Ellie to me, it makes me realise… it’s non-stop, the things she’s doing.”
Yvonne reveals that the family have several loved ones to cancer, making the Stand Up to Cancer special particularly meaningful.
“Anything – any awareness, fundraising, research – is incredibly important,” she says.
Meanwhile, Ellie is certainly not resting on her laurels after her Bake Off exploits: she is now filming a BBC series in Cornwall.
So what is Ellie’s dream role? “Maybe acting in New York... I want to be in a film with Lady Gaga. I love her,” she says. But then she adds her real ambition is to inspire others to achieve success too. “I want all of us to follow our dreams. Be happy, be confident, be ourselves.”
You can support Ellie by donating to Stand Up to Cancer: standuptocancer.org.uk
