Deaf charity hopes Tyrique being on Love Island ‘will continue conversations around deafness’

Tasha Ghouri made history when she became the first deaf contestant to appear on Love Island. Tasha made it all the way to the final and has become one of the most loved contestants the show has ever seen. She is constantly raising awareness about being deaf, sharing her superpower with her followers.

Tyrique Hyde entered the Love Island villa this summer and revealed to his fellow Islanders that he is deaf in one ear and has a tattoo on one side of his ear to symbolise “power”.

Tyrique, who is a semi-professional footballer, opened up about his condition ahead of his time in the villa and said: “I’m deaf in my right ear. I’ve got a tattoo next to my left one that symbolises strength and power in my good one.”

via ITV

Teri Devine, Director for Inclusion at the Royal National Institute for Deaf People, exclusively told The Tab: “It’s great to see a deaf contestant on Love Island for the second year in a row. Seeing someone who is deaf or has hearing loss on a popular mainstream show is always a big step forward in terms of representation and increasing public awareness.

“Last year, Tasha had a really positive impact by being open about her experiences and educating viewers about what it’s like to be deaf. We hope that this year’s show will continue the conversation around deafness and hearing loss and encourage the public to be more inclusive.”

During the show, Tyrique told his Love Island co-stars that he was born deaf in one year, something that hasn’t often hindered him in day-to-day life.

Love Island 2023 is on ITV2 and ITVX. 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. 

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Featured image credit via ITV.