Brazillian model, who spent £30,000 to look like Ken doll, dies

The Brazilian model who spent £30,000 on plastic surgery to look like Barbie’s boyfriend Ken died in hospital, the Independant reports. Celso Santebañes died following complications on Thursday, five months after he was diagnosed with leukaemia.

Santebañes (20), died at the Federal University of Uberlândia Clinical Hospital, in Brazil, after contracting pneumonia, the Independent reported.

He was first noticed  after he appeared on a talk show at age 16 and winning modelling contests. However, it was after his transformation to look like the Ken Doll manufactured by Mattel, that he rose to fame. With this growing attention, Santebañes began charging upto £10,000 for appearances and launched his own range of Celso Dolls in Los Angeles.

However, in January 2015 he told reported he was no longer concerned with his looks and was more concerned with his health issues.

Santebañes was buried on Friday. According to the Independent, his father Celia Borges told reporters just as his son's dreams were coming true, they were put on hold because of his illness.