The sixth celebrity confirmed for the 2024 series of Strictly Come Dancing is Love Island beauty Tasha Ghouri.
Tasha became the first Love Island star to appear on the show with a cochlear implant, which is an electronic device she had fitted when she was five years old.
The model is passionate about raising awareness about the deaf community.
She appeared on ITV’s Love Island in 2022 and has since amassed over 2.2 million followers on her social media platform.
Tasha has worked with 10 Downing Street, the Department for Education and MED-AL to champion issues she cares about. She is a published author of her first novel, Hits Different, and has her own podcast, Superpowers with Tasha.
The sixth celebrity confirmed for the 2024 series of Strictly Come Dancing is Love Island beauty Tasha Ghouri
Tasha became the first Love Island star to appear on the show with a cochlear implant, which is an electronic device she was fitted with at the age of five.
Announcing the news on KISS FM’s breakfast show on Wednesday, Tasha gushed: ‘Pinch me, I can’t believe I’m going to be on Strictly Come Dancing!’
“I’ve been watching this show since I was little. It’s a Ghouri family favourite so it’s a dream come true. I know it will be an unforgettable experience and I look forward to performing and making everyone on the dance floor proud.”
However, Strictly faces a fresh row over the hiring of Tasha, who is a trained dancer.
MailOnline revealed the former Love Island star, 25, has competed in several major dance events and appeared in music videos, raising concerns she will have an unfair advantage over her celebrity co-stars.
Last year’s series was marred by allegations that actor Layton Williams, a seasoned West End performer, had an advantage over his opponents because of his extensive dance background.
And Tasha’s participation in the BBC One show could be equally controversial, given that she has been dancing since the age of five and has taken part in competitions.
A source from the show said: “Tasha’s casting has certainly raised eyebrows. She is a professional dancer, as well as a reality star and model, so it seems she is overqualified to appear on the show.”
‘Tasha is certainly no rookie and will always be way ahead of her co-stars before they begin training.
“There’s a feeling that her presence on Strictly is a little unfair to everyone else competing, especially those who are totally new to dancing.”
Tasha became the first Love Island star to appear on the show with a cochlear implant, which she had fitted when she was five years old.
The star’s parents learned she was deaf when she was 12 months old, and as she grew up, Tasha underwent years of speech therapy.
She says disability has become her “superpower” and before going on Love Island she vowed to become an inspiration to the deaf community, like her idol, former Strictly champion Rose Ayling-Ellis.
Tasha told MailOnline in June 2022: “I love Strictly and as a dancer, Rose is an amazing role model. What she did was so powerful. She represented me and the deaf community and I thought it was amazing. It was a beautiful message.”
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