Summer favourite Love Island returns to our screens next week – and one of the contestants is from North Yorkshire.
The hit dating show has a whole new crop of contestants when the popular ITV2 series returns next Monday, June 6, at 9pm.
Among them is Tasha Ghouri, from Thirsk.
She is the show’s first deaf contestant, and describes this as her “superpower” on Instagram.
Tasha wears a cochlear implant and was featured in a viral fashion campaign where she wore a medical device in an earring advert.
She says she is heading into the villa to find “the one” as she feels her dating life is a “shambles”.
The 23-year-old, who also models, said her family and friends would describe her as a “party animal” as she gets wild on a night out, but feels she also inspires others as she is open about her hearing challenges and her cochlear implant.
She also admitted that although she is a “girls’ girl” she is willing to step on some toes “in the nicest way possible” in her quest to find a man.
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Tasha Q&A
Name: Tasha Ghouri
Age: 23
From: Thirsk
Occupation: Model & Dancer
Why Love Island and why now?
My dating life has been a shambles. This is an opportunity for me to find ‘the one’ and have a great summer at the same time. I’m definitely ready for a relationship. I’m 23 now so I’m ready to get to know someone, go on holidays and travel with them.
How would your family and friends describe you?
They would definitely describe me as wild. I can get very wild on a night out, I’m definitely a party animal. I love my prosecco and to have a dance – I’m always on the dance floor. I’m very loyal to my friends and family, I’ll always have their backs. I’m the type of person to put others before me. They would definitely say I’m a nap queen – I love napping! I think they’d also say I’m inspirational because of my hearing and my cochlear implant. I inspire quite a lot of people because I’m really open about it.
How competitive are you? How do you feel about treading on toes?
It’s a tough one because I’m a girls’ girl but it is a dating show and I’m here to find my man. I may have to step on toes but I’ll do it in the nicest way possible.
Footballer’s daughter
Among her fellow contestants is Gemma Owen, the daughter of former England footballer Michael Owen. She has enjoyed her own sporting glory, competing for Team GB in dressage.
Meanwhile, Davide Sanclimenti, 27, from Rome, says he is going to bring his “Italian charm” to the villa.
The business owner, who now lives in Manchester, said: “I’m good-looking and I’ve realised, since I first arrived in Manchester, a lot of English girls actually love me. They love to be around me and I love to be around them.”
This year the contestants will enter a new villa in Majorca as the previous property near Sant Llorenc des Cardassar, in the east of the Spanish island, has reportedly become unavailable for the forthcoming series.
Laura Whitmore will return as host.