‘I’m human like everybody else’: Tasha has spoken about ableism she faced after Love Island

Love Island star Tasha Ghouri has spoken about what it was like dealing with the ableism once she left the villa. Tasha is Love Island’s first ever deaf contestant and wants to use her platform to continue to raise awareness about the deaf community. While she was in the villa, Tasha’s dad said he was “shocked” at the ableism she was facing from viewers online who were mocking her voice.

In a YouTube video since leaving the villa, Tasha explained how intense and difficult the villa actually is. The dancer was often shown crying in the villa, whether it was from being the voted least compatible by the public or from situations between the boys. She said: “Let me tell you now the villa is so hard. The intensity, your emotions are so much more heightened and you don’t have any contact with the outside world, it can really get to you quite a lot and I think that’s why I was so emotional in there and I’m not going to be sorry for my emotions. It’s just how it happened. I’m not normally an emotional person but trust me, it’s just a whole different world in there.”

Tasha also spoke about what she wants to do to raise awareness for the deaf community and how the ableism she faced has affected her since the show ended. She said: “I’m also going to be working on pushing the deaf community, even more. I think coming out it really did show me there’s a lot of work that still needs to be done. Going into the show, I really wanted to show people just because you have a superpower it doesn’t define you, it’s just part of something special that you have.

“Coming out of the show and seeing some of the comments people were saying, that I should act a certain way because I wear a cochlear implant is stereotypical. There is no certain way a deaf person should act ever. It’s just a part of who you are. I’m human like everybody else.”

“There were quite a few [negative] comments. The thing with me, you can have a negative opinion but never bring someone’s superpower into it because that’s ableism and there was a lot of that. It goes to show there’s still a long way to go and I still need to use my voice for the greater good. That’s what I’ve always used my platform for, even before the show. It’s a bit disappointing really because it’s never nice to take it that far and luckily enough I do have thick skin,” she added.

For all the latest Love Island news and gossip and for the best memes and quizzes, like The Holy Church of Love Island on Facebook. 

Related stories recommended by this writer:

• The first official brand deal with a 2022 Love Islander is here – and it’s our girl Tasha!

• Love Island’s Adam Collard was attacked by a group of men whilst on a night out with Paige

• ‘My DMs are full of casting researchers’: Meet the people who turned down Love Island

Featured image credit via Instagram @tashaghouri.