Actor Rose Ayling-Ellis of Eastenders and Strictly Come Dancing fame has worked with Barbie in the production of their first doll with behind-the-ear hearing aids.
She has described its creation as “really important and such a big deal”.
Barbie will now also have a wheelchair, and another doll will have a removable prosthetic leg. While the line has added more than 100 new looks over the past few years to make its stock increasingly diverse — like the young people who play with Barbies — the latest additions are a direct response to what Barbie fans want.