Tasha Ghouri, who appeared on series eight of Love Island in 2022 as the show's first deaf contestant, has opened up about her romance with conservationist Cam Whitnall, describing their first date as "like a movie scene."
Speaking on Jeremy Vine's morning programme on Channel 5 on August 21, the couple discussed their relationship and Whitnall's latest book on big cats. Whitnall rose to prominence on the BBC series One Zoo Three.
A date that ended at the zoo
Ghouri, who finished in fourth place on Love Island with her then partner Andrew Le Page before the couple parted ways, revealed she first contacted Whitnall on Instagram. When the pair realised they lived nearby, they "spontaneously" arranged a date.
Whitnall said: "I was like, spontaneously, do you want to go on a date in our local town, Hertford. So, we went there and then we didn't really want it to end, and I did pull the zoo card out."
A secret entrance and a first kiss
After exploring the zoo after dark, Ghouri confessed: "It was like a movie scene." Whitnall explained he asked his mother for permission to take Ghouri around the zoo, as the family lived on site at the time, but she said no.
Whitnall said: "So I was thinking, oh my word, this is really awkward because I'd already said to her we're going to go around the zoo. So I messaged my brother and I went through the back gate of my brother's instead and snuck in."
Ghouri, who also appeared on Strictly Come Dancing, added: "The zebra was quite close. But yeah, I think it was just lovely. And that's where we had our first kiss, as well. On the bridge." The couple began their romance in 2025.
