Tasha Ghouri’s journey from being Love Island’s first ever deaf contestant to Strictly Come Dancing

Strictly Come Dancing final is upon us, and among the finalists is 26-year-old Tasha Ghouri – a model, TV personality and charity ambassador.

Ghouri shot to fame for being the first ever deaf contestant to appear on reality dating show Love Island.

She has proven herself to be a natural on the dancefloor, regularly landing some of the highest scores on the leaderboard including the first 10s of the season. She is partnered with pro Aljaz Skorjanec, and her performances have been called “practically perfect” by judge Anton Du Beke.

Although she was forced to defend herself after joining the show with some previous dance experience, Ghouri has also taken the opportunity to share her vulnerable side. The star was left in tears on the show as she opened up about the ableist abuse she has received throughout her career.

But prior to her finding love with fellow contestant Andrew Le Page on Love Island, she went viral for appearing as an ASOS model for earrings wearing her cochlear implant and hearing aid.

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Ghouri, who is from Thirsk in North Yorkshire, was born deaf and initially fitted for hearing aids before receiving a single cochlear implant just before her fifth birthday. The device assists with hearing, by electrically stimulating the auditory nerve.

She has since gone on to appear in a number of the UK’s biggest programmes including Countdown, CelebAbility, and TheWeakest Link. Her novel Hits Different, written alongside Lizzie Huxley-Jones, chronicles the life of a woman with disabilities, who is an aspiring dancer and goes on tour with a global superstar. She also hosts the podcast Superpowers with Tasha.

Ghouri trained as a dancer at Creative Academy and has since competed at major dance events and performed in music videos.

“Pinch me, I can’t believe I’m going to be on Strictly Come Dancing!” she told the BBC.

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“I’ve been watching the show since I was little – it’s a firm Ghouri family favourite - so this is a total dream come true. I know it’s going to be an unforgettable experience and I hope to represent and make everyone proud out on that dancefloor.”

She cites dancer Rose Ayling-Ellis, Strictly’s first ever deaf contestant, as a personal inspiration for her appearing on the show. Ayling-Ellis won the show in 2019 along with professional Giovanni Pernice, who has since been axed.

Ghouri went viral earlier this year after she posted a TikTok “Get Ready With Me” video in which she communicated without her cochlear implant. She captioned the post “Embracing my deaf accent”, and has since gone on to campaign for it to be normalised.

She has worked with the Department of Education, Number 10 Downing Street and charity MED-AL to raise greater awareness around issues affecting the deaf community.

In a post on her Instagram, Ghouri wrote: “It has been no secret I have craved this challenge for years – I’m still speechless that this is actually happening!”

She explained that her passion for dance had started when she could “feel the bass and vibrations through my body by the huge floor-standing speakers in our family home.”

Ghouri says she would hear the lyrics to music by lip reading the videos on TV or by using Google to learn them.

“I’ve never learned or been taught any of the styles on Strictly,” she continued. “So I’m buzzed to push myself past my knowledge and limits.”

Although the star calls her deafness a “superpower”, she has previously admitted that she can experience exhaustion and migraines as a result of sensory overload and the strain of having to lip read.

As well as her charitable causes, Ghouri is also known for her fashion sense, and became eBay’s first ever pre-loved brand ambassador upon her departure from the Love Island villa. She has gone on to work with Ann Summers, L’Oreal and Lullabellz, and boasts over 2.2 million followers across her social media platforms.