A psychiatrist competing in beauty pageants who has been nicknamed 'Dr Barbie' by her patients, says she finds it 'empowering' to be compared to the doll. Saskia Fauguel, 28, first started getting compared to a Barbie doll by her patients when she dyed her hair blonde.
They also started commenting on how the NHS worker dressed more glamorously than other doctors, who often wear scrubs. But Saskia, who is a former Miss England finalist, said she likes being compared to the doll because it spreads the message that you can be 'whoever you want to be.'
She said: "A lot of my patients don't always know that I do pageants. Sometimes I'll go and take some bloods from them and they tell me that I look more like a supermodel than a doctor.
"Some of them call me princess and doll, but then others do call me 'Doctor Barbie', especially now that I've got blonde hair. Sometimes you might think that they sound a little bit insulting but I like it because they are doing it in an endearing way.
"They are just telling me I'm a glamorous doctor. People look at Barbie controversially and say how [the doll] is fake and plastic and say she's not a good image to give to young girls.
"But the message of Barbie is essentially that you can be whoever you want to be and you can achieve your dreams. I don’t mind this comparison because I like Barbie and pageants and think they’re empowering."
"That's the sort of message that I like about pageants and I try to advocate that to people as well that beauty is from the inside." Saskia reached the Miss England final in 2021 after receiving 27,000 votes - the most votes anyone had received at the time.
She has since competed in Miss Universe but when she was younger, the NHS worker 'never thought' she would participate in a pageant. Saskia said: "When I was growing up, pageants were something I never thought would be for me because I was a shy kid that didn't speak to anyone and I was overweight.
"Something in me thought that it was just for the pretty, confident people of the world and I never thought I would go for them. When I got older I thought it must be a nice way to have fun, meet people and feel a bit better about yourself.
"The more I've gone into pageants, I've realised that it's not about looks at all. It's about being a good role model and being a good person.
"It is about beauty but it's about the inner beauty of being kind, helping others and being an all-round beautiful person which is being your best self from the inside. I think it would be nice to let others know, especially young women, that it's not just about people judging you for looks, it's about becoming your best self."
Saskia is also promoting the importance of natural beauty within pageants, as she believes many in the industry are still not accepting beauty on the outside. She also said that people often feel the need to get cosmetic surgery before competing, but she has said she supports that if it makes someone 'feel their best.'
Saskia, of Todmorden, West Yorks,. said: "With pageants in general, there aren't many who are accepting natural beauty on the outside. It's more reflective of what they see of the beauty standards.
"A lot of people get fillers, botox or lip fillers which has become as common as getting your nails done. There's nothing wrong with that and I think people should make their own choice and do what makes them feel their best.
"But when people are in pageants and are being role models, I think it's important to say that you are happy with yourself." Speaking about what she would like to see evolve in the beauty industry, Saskia said: "I would like the beauty standards to change a bit because I think it's so common that people get all of these procedures.
"I think if you want to get them, then it's fine. But people don't need it - beauty comes from within you."
She is now a finalist for Miss Supranational UK, a pageant that focuses on women being good role models and being a good person instead of how they look. Saskia, who graduated as a doctor in 2019, said: "It's apparently the third biggest pageant in the world so I thought it would be nice to try it.
"They've also upped their age limit to 32 which is really good. I like that they are more inclusive.
"All pageants have the same common themes and are looking for good role models but this is different because it's more about community service. It's not about the monetary value of how much you've raised for charity, it's about the community effort that you've put in."
