Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham was recently honoured as a ‘Role Model’ Barbie by the toy company Mattel and she also received her very own Barbie doll. Her reaction after getting the first look at herself as a Barbie doll was so wholesome as she said, “My ever present inner 8-year-old self really can't quite believe it!”
Every year ahead of International Women's Day which falls on March 8 Mattel honours remarkable women selected from different backgrounds and professions as Role Models to inspire the next generation of girls around the world.
Highlighting the importance of female friendships, Hannah Waddingham received the honour along with her Ted Lassoco-star Juno Temple, who share a close bond off-screen as well, much like their characters Rebecca and Keeley in the show.
Hannah Waddingham’s Barbie doll was modelled after her iconic red carpet look at the SAG Awards in 2024. The doll features the same floor-length, off-shoulder red gown, complete with the special clutch she carried for the event. In an interview she shared that the cardboard clutch was made by her 9-year-old daughter.
The doll is also carrying a miniature version of the clutch, complete with the colourful streaks and the word ‘epic’ written across the flap and Waddingham shared that it was indeed the best bit about the doll and it looks – as her daughter would say – ‘epic’.
In a video about the launch, Hannah Waddingham revealed that she had the opportunity to give a few inputs about how her doll would look like and she had one specific request.
“I want the arms to have muscles on them, because that's feminine too," she had said and when she saw her doll for the first time, she was thoroughly impressed by how perfectly they had captured her request and made the arms look athletic and toned.
“Isn’t it lovely to see a dolly with lumps and bumps on her, like all girlies should,” she said, highlighting the importance of accepting our natural bodies; and dolls reflecting these curves, dips and everything in between that was airbrushed or smoothed over for years.
Speaking about their dolls honouring the theme of female friendships, Hannah Waddingham added, “I hope our dolls will be a symbol that encourages and celebrates all kinds of female friendship through the glamorous moments, but most importantly through all the normal days when you need love, strength and support the most.”
Akhila Thomas is a digital writer at Yours.co.uk and her areas of interest are beauty, fashion, food, wellness and lifestyle. She has previously written for magazines like Leftlion, Women’s Health and t’Art and worked extensively with art, culture, fashion and social media trends. She also likes to travel and explore new cultures and cuisines