A party girl with Down syndrome says she’s fed up of being called “cute” and instead wants people to realise she’s “sexy.”
Sophie, 32, from Hull, is always the last person on the dancefloor - and she has no intention of stopping the party any time soon.
The loved-up actor, who lives with her mum and stepdad, is engaged to her fiancé Richard, who also has Down syndrome.
“I met Richard at the day centre above the library four years ago,” Sophie told The Mirror. “He’s very kind, thoughtful and funny.”
Sophie’s sister Emily, 30, added the couple had vaguely known each other since they were kids, but they began their romance after getting closer at the day centre.
The sisters, who are incredibly close, are in the same line of work - with Sophie even providing the inspiration behind Emily’s one-woman play about how the pair navigated childhood.
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And Emily was over the moon for her older sister when Richard popped the question at a party - to which a delighted Sophie said “yes.”
Sophie recalled: “He asked me to marry him on the dancefloor - then the waitress came over with a bottle of champagne to celebrate.”
The pair haven’t set a date yet as Sophie is spending time focusing on her career.
Her dream role would be to play Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City - and there’s one particular reason for her love of the columnist character.
“I love her clothes!” Sophie said.
If she was starring alongside her sister, she’d like to recreate a Only Fools and Horses - her favourite sitcom - but a female version.
When it comes to performing, she’d love to be a TV star but would also like to appear on stage like her sister.
“I’d love to get a standing ovation,” she said.
But when she’s not focusing on work, Sophie loves sipping on cocktails and getting tipsy.
“I love pornstar martinis,” she laughed, recalling a time when she had one too many at her friend’s house and ended up getting thrown in the swimming pool.
While Sophie loves her life and is proud to have Down syndrome, she gets fed up when people say she’s “cute.”
“I don’t want to be cute, I want to be pretty and sexy,” she said.
Emily added her sister often sets people straight when they call her “cute” - turning around and telling them she doesn’t want to be patronised.
To share her message that Down syndrome doesn’t mean she can’t be a party girl, Sophie has teamed up with learning disability charity Mencap.
She has become one of their Myth Busters as part of a new campaign to make sure people living with learning disabilities’ voices are heard.
Each Myth Buster, as an ambassador for the campaign, shares their story in their words to show people that their learning disability doesn’t stop them from doing the things they love.
Edel Harris, chief executive of Mencap, said: “To have this diverse group of unique, talented, interesting, energetic, and fun people on board to help us shatter misconceptions, reduce stigma and campaign for societal change and greater inclusion of people with a learning disability is a real pleasure and privilege.
“We want the UK to be the best place in the world for people with a learning disability to live happy and healthy lives and I’m delighted the Myth Busters are helping us to make this a reality.”
