Ellie Jade Goldstein (born 18 December 2001) is an English model and actress. She was the first model with Down syndrome to feature on the cover of Vogue, and appear in a campaign for Gucci. In 2025, she joined the cast of the BBC series Malory Towers as Nancy Maher and earned a Children's and Family Emmy Award nomination for her performance.
Early life
Ellie Jade Goldstein was born on 18 December 2001 in Ilford, London to Mark and Yvonne Goldstein (née Slater), a Jewish family.[1][2][3] She has Down syndrome and underwent cardiac surgery when she was five months old to close holes in her heart.[4] Her mother was initially told that Goldstein would not be able to walk or talk.[5]
Career
Goldstein is represented by Zebedee Management[6] and has been modelling since she was 15.[7] She studied performing arts and has appeared in campaigns for brands including Nike, Vodafone, and Superdrug.[8]
In November 2019, Gucci and Vogue Italia scouted Goldstein during the Photo Vogue Festival as part of their digital editorial on "Unconventional Beauty". The photo was taken by photographer David PD Hyde.”[9][10][11] Goldstein is the first model with a disability to represent the Gucci brand and model their beauty products.[12][13] Goldstein has appeared on both Good Morning Britain and Loose Women on several occasions, and in April 2023, Goldstein was interviewed on This Morning after the first Barbie doll with Down syndrome was launched by Mattel.[14] In September 2023, Goldstein released her autobiography Against All Odds, and the following year released Ellie, a children's book about inclusivity and growing up with Down syndrome.[15]