Tasha Ghouri broke down in tears on Strictly Come Dancing on Saturday night as she opened up about the negative reaction she has experienced online due to her disability.
The 26-year-old former Love Island star impressed the judges with fellow dancer Aljaz Skorjanec and received a joint series high score of 39 They performed “So What About Us” Made of pink.
But before the dance, Gouri, who was born deaf and uses a cochlear implant, became visibly emotional as she told the audience about online trolls making videos about the way she talks.
She revealed that after taking part in dating show Love Island in 2022, she received a series of cruel comments that left her feeling like she had let down “the entire deaf community”.
The model, author and podcaster from North Yorkshire became Love Island’s first deaf contestant when she appeared on the ITV show, eventually dating boyfriend Andrew Le Page Tied for fourth place, she is still in a relationship with her boyfriend.
Gouri said she joined the show to find love and raise awareness about the deaf community, but found herself the victim of online hate.
“When I left the show, I remember my dad sat me down and he looked me straight in the eyes and said ‘Tash, there are a lot of horrible things said about you, especially on social media,'” she said.
“There were some videos of my voice and the way I spoke, and it became a trend for a while.”
Guri said the experience hit her “rock bottom.”
“Because I wanted to continue to represent, but I felt like I was failing, not just myself, but the entire deaf community,” she said.
But she insists she won’t let the trolls win.
“I’m going to use my platform to educate people,” she said.
Today, Ghouri has more than 2.2 million followers on her social media platforms.
She has worked with 10 Downing Street and the Department for Education to advocate on behalf of deaf people.
Ahead of this year’s series of Strictly, Goori admitted the moment meant a lot to her.
“I can’t believe I’m going to be on Strictly Come Dancing. I’ve been watching the show since I was a kid and it’s a family favorite, so it’s a total dream come true,” she said.
Three years ago, Rose Ayling-Ellis became Strictly’s first deaf contestant and went on to win.
BBC/PAThe remaining 10 celebrities and their professional dance partners took to the ballroom on Saturday night as part of Strictly Come Dancing’s inaugural Idol Week.
Taylor Swift and Beyoncé were among the stars honored during the show.
Ghouri and Skorjanec are joined by JLS vocalist JB Gill and professional stand-in partner Lauren Oakley at the top of the leaderboardtied for the highest score in this year’s series.
Professional dancer Amy Dowden, who was paired with Gill, was taken to hospital as a “precautionary measure” after starting to “feel unwell” and was forced to miss last Sunday’s results show.
On Saturday’s show, Oakley took her place and performed the Bruno Mars Medley with Gill, with the pair scoring 39 points.
The icon’s celebrations will continue on Sunday night when professional dancers perform Beyonce’s medley with Johannes Radebe, who performs the singer’s alter ego Sa Sasha Fierce.
