If there were a prize for World’s Proudest Dad, Tarek Ghouri, father of Tasha Ghouri from Strictly Come Dancing, would be a contender.
Tarek found time from his Guardalhorce Valley home to speak to Euro Weekly News on just how incredibly proud he is of his daughter as she dances her way to the hearts of the British public on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing contest.
‘Tasha and I went to Malawi last year, where they have one of the highest rates of infant deafness in Africa due to the effects of malaria. We took donations of hearing aids for children with Professor Chris Raine, who implanted Tasha’s first cochlear implant.’
Ambassador and role model to deaf children, Tasha Ghouri
Natasha Ghouri, star of ITV’s Love Island and Strictly, ambassador for the Royal National Institute for the Deaf; National Children’s Deaf Society; Deaf Kidz International; The Prince’s Trust; and The Royal Voluntary Service, was born with profound deafness yet has managed to overcome the odds to become the UK’s sweetheart.
As a toddler, she had to learn to sign, as did her parents, but at 5 years old, the offer came in from renowned ENT surgeon, Christ Raine, to fit a cochlear implantation device, not to cure Tash’s deafness but to give her a broader scope for communication.
‘At first we came in for some criticism from the deaf community, as many are proud and happy with their condition and don’t see the need for added technology. The implant was just our decision at the time, and it was the right choice for our daughter. Sign language, the third biggest language in the world, is very popular these days, not only for those with hearing impairments but also for communicating with some ADHD children.’
Today, when visiting children in Malawi with hearing impairments, the kids look in awe as they see someone just like them who has overcome her disability to become one of the most celebrated women on TV. She has shown deaf children what they are capable of achieving and how to thrive, inspiring literally 100s of thousands.
Tasha Ghouri, born to dance
The new beginning came after the implant: learning to use it and communicate through extensive speech therapy. From the age of 3, feeling the rhythm of her favourite Steps DVD thumping through the laminate floorboards, Tasha found her niche in life; she had been born to dance.
Tarek chokes up as he recounts the challenges his daughter faced through childhood, through the meanness of classmates at school, and eventually moving to solidify her resolve and become one of the most famous and competent dancers in the UK today.
At 16, her implant broke, and it would be several months before she would be fitted with a new one, forcing her to reacquaint herself with silence and how to sign her feelings. But in dance, she found a voice.
Credit: bcig.org.uk
After studying Commercial Dance at CAPA College, getting her degree, and some occasional dance work, the pandemic hit. She managed to escape a job in Switzerland a day before lockdown and return to London just in time, where she began a career as an influencer.
‘The pandemic and wearing facemarks affected deaf people enormously. Tasha called me in floods of tears one night after a taxi driver she hailed to take her home from work at Tiffany’s shouted at her for removing her facemark for a second so she could make herself understood.’
Tasha caused a stir modelling earrings with her implant
The breakthrough call came when she scored work in the video for the hit song for ‘More Than Words’ by Sleepwalkrs featuring MNEK, which featured a performance from a dance troupe composed of deaf and hard-of-hearing dancers. And again, shortly after, she caused a stir by modelling earrings for ASOS with the outer part of her implant proudly on show. But she really shot to fame in ITV’s Love Island.
‘Tasha and I have always had a very close and frank relationship. When I asked her why she wanted to do the programme, she told me she wanted to find love, and given all the contestants have to endure, only real love could survive that.’
Le Page, and Tasha have just celebrated 2 years together
Her partner in the show, Andrew Le Page, and Tasha Ghouri have just celebrated 2 years together after finishing joint 4th on the programme, leaving the ambassador of the young deaf continuing to skyrocket.
With no previous training in Ballroom or Latin Dance, Tasha was selected for Strictly and is currently wowing audiences with her performances alongside pro-dancer Aljaž Škorjanec. The dance duo is looking like strong contenders for the finals.
Meanwhile, the proudest dad in Coín, Málaga, keeps flying over to see his ‘Tasha’ continue giving it her all and demonstrating that deafness need not be an obstacle.
Listen to Tasha’s story through the experiences of her parents Nicky and Tarek on the podcast, Superpowers with Tasha, here.
