‘I’m a doctor and patients call me Barbie now that I’m blonde – I love it’
A psychiatrist who competes in pageants has been nicknamed Dr Barbie by her patients – but she thinks it’s “empowering” because the doll is an inspirational icon.
Saskia Fauguel, 28, first started getting compared to a Barbie doll by her patients when she dyed her hair blonde.
They also began to comment on how the NHS worker dressed more glamorously than other doctors who often wear scrubs.
READ MORE: ‘People tell me I have brains and beauty – but I don’t like them saying it’
But Saskia, who is a former Miss England finalist, said she likes being compared to the doll because it spreads a message that you can be “whoever you want to be”.
She said many of her patients don’t always know she competes in pageants.
![](https://london24news.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/LOGO2.png)
(Image: Courtesy Saskia Fauguel / SWNS)
Saskia 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 it’s 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 I like barbie, and pageants and think they’re empowering.”
![](https://london24news.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/LOGO2.png)
(Image: Lee McLean / SWNS)
This is the sort of message she likes about pageants, and she always tries to teach people that beauty is on the inside.
Saskia reached the Miss England final in 2021 after receiving 27,000 votes – the most votes anyone had received at the time.
Since then she’s competed in Miss Universe but when she was younger the NHS worker “never thought” she would compete in a pageant.
This is because she was a “shy kid”, and she didn’t like to speak to many people because she was “overweight”.
A part of her thought it was something confined to “pretty, confident people”, and she didn’t think it was something she’d ever go for.
![](https://london24news.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/LOGO2.png)
(Image: Courtesy Saskia Fauguel / SWNS)
“When I got older I thought it must be a nice way to have fun, meet people and feel a bit better about yourself,” she added.
“The more I’ve gone into pageants, I’ve realised that it’s not about looks at all, but 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 also promotes 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 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”.
![](https://london24news.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/LOGO2.png)
(Image: Lee McLean / SWNS)
Saskia, of Todmorden, West Yorkshire, 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 and 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.”
Saskia would like to see the beauty standards to change a bit because she thinks it’s “so common” for people get these procedures.
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 but 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.”
READ NEXT: