Strictly star Ellie Goldstein has shared her hopes for inspiring people with disabilities during her time at Naidex.

The UK’s biggest and most established event for the disability community will take place on March 25-26 at the NEC in Birmingham, and Ellie was one of the first celebrity guest speakers to sign up.

Ellie is a model, actor and influencer with Down Syndrome. In 2023, she made history as the first model with the genetic condition to feature on the cover of British Vogue, after going viral three years earlier for appearing in a beauty campaign for Gucci.

She has gone on to model for Adidas and Victoria’s Secret and has been named in the Business of Fashion 500, a list of people influencing the global fashion industry.

As an actor, she has appeared in the CBBC series Malory Towers, earning her a Children's and Family Emmy Award nomination, and last year she sashayed onto the Strictly dancefloor.

Ellie continues to advocate for inclusivity and a broader view of beauty across the fashion world.

During Naidex, she’ll speak candidly about navigating fashion, media, and public life, challenging stereotypes, and building confidence in spaces not originally designed with her in mind.

Speaking ahead of the show, Ellie said: “I’m really excited to be speaking at Naidex. It’s a great event for bringing people together to share experiences and celebrating what people with disabilities can achieve. I can’t wait to meet everyone and hopefully inspire others too.”

Ellie will appear on the Main Stage at Naidex on March 25. Her session on ‘Defying Industry Standards: Embracing Your Disability To Achieve Your Biggest Aspirations’ will begin at 12.15pm.

She’ll be joined by Shani Dhanda, Accessibility Consultant and Co-Founder at Innovating Inclusion & Access To Work Collective.