Strictly’s Tasha Ghouri details her difficulties as a deaf contestant
Tasha Ghouri has shared a glimpse into how she is accommodated on Strictly Come Dancing as a deaf contestant.
The former Love Island finalist is currently taking part in this year’s Strictly series, and has been partnered up with returning pro dancer Aljaž Škorjanec.
Tasha is the second-ever deaf celebrity to compete in Strictly, following in the footsteps of EastEnders alum Rose Ayling-Ellis, who won her series in 2021.
Now, ahead of her second performance tomorrow night (September 28), Tasha has detailed the differences in her Strictly experience as a deaf person.
Earlier today, the 26-year-old took to her Instagram stories to launch a Q&A session with her followers.
One fan subsequently asked: “Do you lip read most of the time? Will you find it more difficult on live TV?”
Tasha – who wears a cochlear implant to enable her to hear – went on to share the precautions that she takes.
“Strictly have been so supportive in making sure everything is accessible. Where I stand, when I face the judges, Aljaž is always on my right purely because I hear through my right side, I don’t hear through my left. With my implants on, I can only hear through this [right] side. When it’s out, I can’t hear anything,” she explained.
“Upstairs, the same thing again, make sure that I’m on my right side. They’ve been so supportive and making sure I’ve got everything I need,” Tasha praised, adding: “Last week was absolutely fine for me.”
“Of course, there are some scenarios where I may have missed some little bits, but I’ve just got to see how everyone’s reacting,” the reality star continued.
“For example, there were times where I was in the back where I was so zoned out. That’s purely because I was trying to hear what people were saying. I was trying to lip read and gather what was happening,” she recalled.
“Honestly, last week was such a dream, and I’m super, super excited for tomorrow. I cannot believe it’s tomorrow!” Tasha concluded.
