Ellie Simmonds: Smashing prejudices

Ellie Simmonds is making a huge impact on the representation of different body types on mainstream TV.

In a recent opinion piece in The Guardian - Ellie Simmonds on Strictly smashes prejudices about what a dancer can be - writer Cath Reay says:

"People like to play down the impact representation has, but for those whose body types are never shown in certain contexts, it can be incredibly powerful to see someone like us participating in something we might have otherwise deemed impossible, because there are no prior examples to draw from."

Ellie Simmonds herself has said how touched she has been by the huge outpouring of support for her on Strictly - Strictly Come Dancing: Ellie Simmonds' 'heart touched' by support

Ellie Simmonds is not a stranger to our TV screens, having represented Team GB in the Paralympics, commenting on sport and fronting the thought provoking documentary Ellie Simmonds: A world without Dwarfism?