Tasha Ghouri, a 23-year-old model and dancer from Thirsk, North Yorkshire, has become the first deaf contestant on ITV2's Love Island. She revealed to fellow contestants that she was born completely deaf and wears a cochlear implant in her right ear, describing it as her 'superpower'.
Ms Ghouri said: 'It's just something cool that I've got about myself. It doesn't define me, it's just a part of who I am.' Her openness was praised by other contestants, with Indiyah Polack stating: 'She was so open about it... I just wanted her to know she's not alone and we're all here to support her.'
Luca Bish, a fishmonger from Brighton, added: 'Literally, I would not have had a clue, and to say it in front of a bunch of people who you've never met... credit to her.' Hannah Tweddle, Ms Ghouri's former dance teacher, described her as 'an amazing person with a wicked sense of humour'.
Last year, actress Rose Ayling-Ellis became the first deaf contestant to win BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing, raising awareness of the deaf community. Ms Ghouri's appearance on Love Island has been similarly praised for increasing representation.
