Amy Clarke
This week on Strictly Come Dancing it was Movie Week. Ellie and her dance partner Vito danced to the song "Dance the Night Away" by Dua Lipa from the Barbie movie. I really like this song. It is fun and the Barbie movie is fun too. Ellie was Barbie and Vito was Ken. They looked great and danced really well.
Ellie’s mum, Yvonne, came to the show with a special Barbie doll. The doll is like Ellie because it has
Down Syndrome
Down syndrome, also known as Down's syndrome, is a type of disability. People with Down syndrome may find it hard to learn new things and may need support. They may have more problems with their health too.
. Ellie was
involved
Involved is being included in something or taking part in something.
in the release of the Barbie Down Syndrome, it has a necklace that shows the extra chromosome. It is clear that Yvonne is very proud of Ellie and she has a lot of family support.
"It is not nice to be mean just because someone is different."
Some people have said mean things about Ellie online and said she should not be on the show. This makes me sad because Ellie is doing really well. The judges and mentor Cynthia Erivo were very kind and told Ellie she did a great job. The viewers also voted for Ellie and Vito to stay on the show. Vito is very nice to Ellie and even made her a dessert to make her happy. The presenters are kind to Ellie too. It is not nice to be mean just because someone is different.
This week is National Anti-
Hate Crime
A hate crime is when someone is hurt or bullied because of things like: their disability or their religion.
Week. That means we must say no to hate and bullying. We should be kind and
respect
Respect means showing someone you think about someone's feelings, wishes or rights.
everyone. Ellie shows that even if you are different, you can try new things and be great at them.
Last year, Chris won Strictly and he is blind. Rose also won the show before and she is deaf. This shows that the show and viewers are happy to have different kinds of people.
Ellie has said on social media that she is happy and thankful for all the nice messages. She wants everyone to know that everyone should have a chance to be on the show.
Keep dancing, Ellie and Vito - You are stars and we are excited to see more!
Ellie Goldstein made history in 2025
When she first stepped onto the Strictly dancefloor in the autumn, Ellie became the first contestant with Down syndrome to compete in the main series of the iconic ballroom show.
Donations to Mencap help us support the 1.5 million people with a learning disability A learning disability is to do with the way someone's brain works. It makes it harder for someone to learn, understand or do things. to be seen, heard and valued.
Thank you to the National Lottery Community Fund for their generous grant, funding this work.