Couple spend £6,000 on 13 fake babies in three years

18 September 2023 , 13:16

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Jess Ellis with her collection of 'reborn' dolls (Image: SWNS)

A couple have invested a whopping £6,000 over three years on 13 eerily lifelike 'fake babies'. The pair have been spending their time changing nappies and pushing prams, all in preparation for the real deal of parenthood.

Jess Ellis, a 27 year old resident of Plaistow, began her collection of reborn dolls - hyper-realistic infant replicas - in May 2020. Feeling "lonely" amidst the pandemic and stumbling upon these dolls online, she decided to purchase her first doll, Rebecca, a one-month-old baby girl, for £250. This marked the beginning of her growing obsession with expanding her faux family.

Jess Ellis with partner Avery Raassen and the hyper-realistic infant replicas (SWNS)

Following Rebecca came Sam, a 'newborn', purchased for £560 in November 2020. Then came June, another one-month-old; Brooklyn, an eight-month-old; Manuela, Zain, Lilly, Annalese, Aria, all newborns; Cookie, who is 'premature'; Charlie, a one-year-old; Pippa, also one, and another - June - aged four.

The total expenditure for Jess's unique collection of 13 dolls stands at £6,000. Her most expensive acquisition, Cookie, a premature baby-sized girl, set her back by £1,700. Jess's fiance, Avery Raassen, a 33-year-old pastry chef, is reportedly "incredibly supportive" of her unusual hobby. He even lends a hand in dressing up the 'babies' and changing their nappies.

Jess says there is something 'very calming' about holding the dolls (SWNS)

While the couple dream of having a real child someday, for now, they are content with their reborn dolls, which they believe are preparing them for the joys and challenges of parenthood. Jess, an HR business partner, said: "I have always loved babies - there is something very calming about holding a baby."

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With several babies in her family and a goddaughter, Jess said she found the dolls gave her comfort of her own. "Being able to hold a reborn is really special," she said, adding, "I love looking at them and yes, sometimes you can look very quickly and fool yourself into thinking they are real. It is very therapeutic holding them, if I have got stressed or anxious it is very calming. In some ways, they help prepare you for being a parent."

Jess changes their nappies, takes them out in a pram and says it is preparing the couple for parenthood (SWNS)

Jess's fiance, who had never changed a nappy or held a baby before, gained confidence after interacting with the dolls, she said. However, Jess maintains she understands the difference between the dolls and real infants, saying: "I also recognise that these are not real babies and I often leave them in places you definitely should not leave a real baby - like a table or sofa."

When Covid brought a raft of restrictions, Jess found solace in taking her dolls for walks around the local park, helping her overcome anxiety. "During the pandemic I became very, very anxious about leaving the house and so my fiance actually bought the pram for me to encourage me to go outside," she said. "It worked really well and after a few months, I was able to go outside on my own without the pram as well. I still take them out occasionally in it because it's really fun to push a pram around."

While Jess and her partner are open about their desire for a baby in the future, they acknowledge the immense responsibility that comes with it and admit they're not quite ready yet. She said of the dolls: "In a way, they are a placebo to help with baby fever. I do change them quite a lot. I find it a bonding experience which sounds strange to say."

Jess's current favourite is a doll named Aria, who she stumbled upon while scrolling through Facebook. "When I saw her artist put the picture up, I thought she was a real baby," she said. Aria often travels in her car seat, where Jess believes she looks most realistic. She said: "I look at her and think she is real - this is another reason I keep her in her car seat because it looks like I have just brought her home from the hospital - she is gorgeous."

However, Jess's collection has garnered mixed reactions from her family and friends. While some struggle to understand her love for the dolls, others, like her mother Nicky, 60, have been incredibly supportive. "She has been lovely and even took us to a doll show. She is really interested in the art side and how they are made," Jess said. Her father, Andrew, 55, does have some issues with the practice, Jess said: "He thinks it is very bizarre and will tell me that, but he is also proud of me for doing something I enjoy and not being ashamed to talk about it."

Jess has shared her experiences of taking her lifelike dolls for walks, saying: "I have had it several times where I have taken them out for a walk and people have mistaken them for real babies. My reaction depends on whether I am in a hurry or not. If I am rushing and they compliment how cute they are I will say 'thank you'. But if I have more time I will explain how they are dolls and people are usually really interested."

She is now creating and selling reborn dolls online. It takes her approximately three weeks of intermittent work to produce a doll. Since she started four months ago, she has earned a £2,000, producing around 14 dolls so far and selling them for under £200 each. Jess said: "I wanted to see if I could create quite life-like ones - I got a kit where they send everything you need to make one doll."

Despite her initial attempt being less than perfect, Jess found joy in the process. "It was awful, but I had so much fun doing it, I stripped it and re-painted it. I did a giveaway of that doll - it was a nice way for me to give back to the community and give back to the people who can't afford these dolls."

Avery, a fellow enthusiast, shared: "I love having the reborn babies around the house. They have helped me learn how to hold a real baby and change their nappies. We would both love a child of our own in the future but for now these dolls help us prepare for parenthood."

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S P Jones