Tasha Ghouri finds 'beauty in silence' as she reflects on her 'superpower'
Tasha Ghouri, the former Love Island and The Circle contestant, has opened up about her new book 'Your Superpower: Embrace What Makes You Different' and the challenges she has faced
TV personality and disability advocate Tasha Ghouri insists that everyone has their own 'superpowers' in her new novel. "Remembering who you are as a person, that's the whole root of the book," shares the Strictly Come Dancing star about her latest self-help offering, Your Superpower: Embrace What Makes You Different.
Describing the book as "a very vulnerable, raw" journey, she intertwines her personal experiences with advice on tackling everything from bullying and heartache, to navigating the pitfalls of social media and the significance of self-belief.
Ghouri, 26, reflects on a childhood that was both "fun" ("I was a kid that would play hopscotch outside,") and challenging. Hailing from Thirsk, North Yorkshire, she was born deaf and received a cochlear implant at the age of five. Today, she views her disability as one of her greatest superpowers and has come to "embrace the silence".
"I have the option to be deaf or hearing, which I love. When I go to sleep, I always take [my cochlear implant] out. I have the best sleep ever," she shares. "Even in my downtime, I just love to take it out and watch TV with the subtitles on."
"There's so much beauty in silence," Ghouri states. "I wish everyone had it, because it really is such a lovely thing, to be able to switch off, recharge your batteries and ground yourself again."
The tranquillity of silence has struck a chord with Ghouri, especially during a tumultuous period of her life. When her cochlear implant broke in the middle of her A-levels, she was involuntary enveloped in quiet.
"It felt really strange, not hearing anything for months," she recalls, yet her resolve didn't waver – she continued attending college and dance classes amidst the silence, admitting: "I didn't want it to bring me down. Don't get me wrong, I did break down quite a few times," but insists that enduring that phase only fortified her character, equipping her for any such future occurrences.
Ghouri catapulted into the limelight at age 23 when she entered the Love Island villa in 2022. Reflecting on her reality TV debut, she muses: "I remember thinking, 'You're here now, really embrace this opportunity.'" Post-villa life, however, delivered its own whirlwind: a "very crazy six months" post-show transition that tested her newfound fame.
Despite receiving adequate aftercare – including multiple psychological assessments, consultations with parents, and the team maintaining contact for months – Ghouri still endured online harassment and sudden infamy. "There was a lot of ableism, opinions and I had to navigate a whole new reality," she recounts.
Ghouri speaks candidly about her challenges: "There were many times where I lost myself," but remains thankful: "Luckily, I stayed grounded. I knew who my people were, who my family and friends were."
The dating show may have transformed her life and reunited her parents, who contribute to her book, but it was Strictly Come Dancing that fulfilled her ultimate television fantasy.
For two years, Ghouri focused on manifesting her Strictly dream: "I just kept saying, 'Strictly, Strictly, Strictly, that's the one show I want to do and I'll retire after that!'" She was overwhelmed with emotion when she finally received the call: "I was so shocked."
Partnered with professional dancer Aljaz Skorjanec, they danced their way to the final, and Ghouri often revisits their performances online: "It's such a big part of my life," she declares. "In 20 years' time, if I ever have children, that's something I'm going to show them."
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