Baywatch Barbie for boyfriends

She has long blonde hair, big blue eyes, countless new looks, and is the best-selling doll for girls this Christmas. And apparently for boys as well, writes Glenda Cooper.

The success of Baywatch Barbie, the latest incarnation of the blonde plastic bombshell, is due to teenage girls buying the pounds 15 doll for their boyfriends who are fans of the television series Baywatch, according to the British Association of Toy Retailers.

Baywatch Barbie, a lifeguard dressed in a red swimsuit, bears a close resemblance to the show's star Pamela Anderson Lee. Or as a spokesman for the BATR puts it: "You could say Pamela Anderson modelled herself on Barbie. After all Barbie got there first."

"Mums used to be mad on Barbie so they buy them for their daughters," he added. "But according to some of our retailers teenage girls are buying them for their boyfriends who are fans of Baywatch. It doesn't surprise me in the least."