Tasha Ghouri has spoken out about the importance of normalizing deaf accents and revealed she was trolled over her voice on Love Island.
The 25-year-old Love Island star, who was born deaf and received her cochlear implant at the age of five, made history as the show's first deaf contestant in 2022, where she reached the final with boyfriend Andrew Le Page .
However, during an appearance on Lorraine on Thursday, she revealed that viewers noticed her voice changed when she took out her implant and that she was hit with a barrage of online abuse.
Tasha explained: “When I have my implant in I can hear my voice, but when I take it out I hear a vibration from my throat.”
“I can't hear what sound it is or how loud.” It's weird because when I put it back on I go back to my normal voice.
Tasha Ghouri has spoken out about the importance of normalizing deaf accents and revealed she was trolled over her voice on Love Island
The 25-year-old Love Island star was born deaf and made history as the show's first deaf contestant in 2022, where she reached the final with boyfriend Andrew Le Page (pictured).
But on Thursday's Lorraine she revealed that viewers noticed her voice changing when she took out her implant and that she was subjected to online abuse (pictured on Love Island).
“When I was on the show, I actually had a lot of ability awareness [online] about my voice and not many people understood why I spoke the way I did.'
She continued: “That was probably the main troll I got from that.” There were TikToks made about my voice that took the crap out of it.
“So when I came out, I was still coming to terms with that, and so I felt like this was the right time to explain why my voice might sound different.”
Last month, Tasha shared a getting ready video on TikTok without wearing her cochlear implant, saying she didn't want to “shy” her deaf accent as it was a “part of me.”
In the viral video. She also encouraged others to “embrace” their unique voices, calling it their “superpower.”
Although she admitted she was “nervous” about posting the inspiring clip, Tasha said she was inundated with grateful messages thanking her for raising awareness.
She said: “It was nerve-wracking.” [pressing send]. It was definitely a vulnerable part of me, but I thought, “You know what? I’ll just try.”
“I also speak for the entire deaf community, not just myself.” It was definitely scary, but I'm so glad I did it because the response was incredible.
“It was really amazing. “You only live properly once, so I figured I might as well give myself a proper hug.”
Last month, Tasha shared a getting ready video on TikTok without wearing her cochlear implant, saying she didn't want to “shy” her deaf accent as it was a “part of me.”
In the viral video. She also encouraged others to “embrace” their unique voices, calling it their “superpower.”
Although she admitted she was “nervous” about posting the inspiring clip, Tasha said she was inundated with grateful messages thanking her for raising awareness
She added: “Honestly, every single comment was, 'Thank you for representing the deaf community.' [and] “It’s amazing you shared that part.”
“And I think, timing-wise, I could have done it when I came off the show, but I wasn't ready to do it. I wasn't ready to share that part of me yet.”
Tasha also gushed that her boyfriend Andrew, 28, has been instrumental in boosting her confidence, admitting that “he really loves me for me.”
She said: “His support has been incredible. “He really loves me for me and that helps me be my vulnerable self.
“He said, 'It's OK to be who you are, and not everyone is going to love you, and that's OK, but as long as you do what you love.'
In October 2022, Andrew surprised Tasha with a personalized tattoo as a tribute to her that also celebrated her disability.
He had a hand inked that wrote “I love you” in sign language and held Tasha’s cochlear implant.
Of the sweet gesture, Tasha explained, “It's basically ASL saying 'I love you' in American Sign Language. He came home and surprised me with it and I was like, “What?!”
Tasha also gushed that her boyfriend Andrew, 28, has been instrumental in boosting her confidence, admitting that “he really loves me for me.”
In October 2022, Andrew surprised Tasha with a personalized tattoo as a tribute to her: a hand that signed “I love you” in sign language and held Tasha's cochlear implant
She added that using her platform to proudly show off her cochlear implant has helped others, as she received daily messages that people were feeling more confident.
She said: “I get messages every day saying, 'Thank you, thanks to you I have the confidence to wear my hair up and talk about it.'
“I think these messages show how important our voices are in this industry today, especially on social media. “It's just so healing because that's what I want to do: just help people out there.”
Tasha added, “I'm passionate about making the most of my platform and helping other people find their confidence and happiness within themselves.”
She added that using her platform to proudly show off her cochlear implant has helped others, as she received daily messages that people were feeling more confident