Love Island is back! We have now been introduced to all of our series 8 islandersand it's looking like we have an eventful 10 weeks ahead. The internet is very intrigued by islander Tasha Ghouri - she is not only gorgeous but as Love Island's first deaf contestant, she has already made history! Tasha told ITV that she is ready for island life and isn't afraid of going for what she wants. She said, 'It’s a tough one because I’m a girls’ girl but it is a dating show and I’m here to find my man. I may have to step on toes but I’ll do it in the nicest way possible.' Here is everything you need to know about Tasha Ghouri.
How old is Tasha Ghouri?
Tasha is 23 years old. She told ITV, 'I’m 23 now so I’m ready to get to know someone, go on holidays and travel with them.'
Where is Tasha Ghouri from?
Tasha is from Thirsk, an old fashioned market town in the Vale of Mowbray in North Yorkshire - famous for its race courses.
Who is Tasha Ghouri ? What does she do?
Tasha is a dancer and model and she has made quite a name for herself already. She has already starred in Sleepwalkrs and MNEK's music video 'More Than Words.' The 23-year-old told ITV,'I can get very wild on a night out, I’m definitely a party animal. I love my prosecco and to have a dance - I’m always on the dance floor.' You might also recognise her from her modelling work on Asos; when she posed for the brand wearing her cochlear implant, it went viral last year.
What is a cochlear implant?
You may have heard of a hearing aid, the standard plastic mould connected to a tube and a microphone which hides behind the ear. A cochlear implant is similar to that, but involves technology which is actually implanted into the skull to aid hearing. She told ITV, 'I think my friends and family would say I’m inspirational because of my hearing and my cochlear implant. I inspire quite a lot of people because I’m really open about it.'
The cochlear implant is typically offered to severely or profoundly deaf individuals – so those on the higher end of the spectrum. While the person has the same microphone behind the ear, this time it’s connected to a magnet which rests on a person’s head.
According to a fundraiser Tasha launched in 2019, she was born deaf but her parents 'didn’t find out until I was 12 months old [as] I wasn’t responding to sounds or even my own parents’ voices.'
In an Instagram Q&A, Tasha revealed that dating has been 'a process', as she has an 'anxiety of meeting new people'. She wrote to her followers, 'It’s the thoughts of, what if I don’t understand him? What if I can’t hear him in a noisy bar? What if there’s loud music and I’ll keep saying pardon? So many thoughts like this go through my head.'
She continued, 'Before I meet someone, if I feel comfortable enough I do tell them about my hearing just so then it’s in their mind. It’s their reaction that’s the most important to me and I’ve had some reactions where they don’t understand and never hear from them again.'
'But that’s okay, it doesn’t affect me as I take it with a pinch of salt. Not everyone is open-minded and because ‘disabilities’ has this negative outlook sometimes on it, we are seen in a different way, which is how it shouldn’t be, ' she explained. The dancer and model added that her deafness is a 'part of me that I do share with someone,' but that she has to be 'very, very comfortable' in order to do so.
What is Tasha Ghouri's Instagram?
To see more glamorous pictures and of course, fabulous dance moves - follow @tashaghouri