Strictly’s Tasha Ghouri says Love Island ableism ‘still gets to me now’ as she takes on emotional BBC pilgrimage

by

Tasha Ghouri has shared that the discrimination she experienced due to her disability while on Love Island continues to impact her. She’s now taking on a new, emotionally challenging project with the BBC as part of her journey to heal and move forward.

During a discussion about the BBC show Pilgrimage: The Road To Holy Island, the reality TV personality shared that they experienced discrimination due to their disability while appearing on a reality show. They explained that people often use a person’s disability as a reason to dislike or attack them.

Even now, three years later, it really hits me hard. I think what stays with me most is seeing how much it affected my family – that’s what I can’t shake.

The 27-year-old influencer, who was born deaf and had a cochlear implant fitted when she was five, is appearing in the newest season of the BBC’s travel documentary series.

Patsy Kensit, Ashley Banjo, Hermione Norris, and Jayne Middlemiss are joined by a new participant as they begin a five-day walking journey through North Yorkshire, County Durham, and Northumberland.

The group follows historic paths linked to figures like St. Cuthbert, journeying through stunning scenery before arriving at the Holy Island of Lindisfarne.

In the first episode, Tasha expresses her admiration for Patsy, telling her she finds her to be a truly incredible, strong, and empowering woman.

‘I’ve learned so much from you already, and I can’t wait to learn more from you.’

Patsy shared some wisdom with the younger actress, playfully advising her, ‘You don’t need to marry every guy you date!’

Tasha became well-known after appearing on the eighth season of Love Island in 2022, and it was on that show that she met Andrew Le Page.

The influencer previously explained to the Daily Mail that a show like that brings a lot of attention, both positive and negative.

She added: ‘There was the trolling and ableism, but also the brand deals. It felt like a volcano.’

As a big fan of Tasha and Andrew from Love Island, I was so thrilled when they bought their first house together and started fixing it up! It was a real shock to hear they’d split last year, especially because Andrew was so supportive, cheering her on from the audience when she was on Strictly Come Dancing just recently in 2024. It really seemed like they were building a future together.

Their breakup quickly became unpleasant, as Andrew, 31, claimed Tasha was using the exclusive dating app Raya during their relationship. Tasha is now dating BBC presenter Cam Whitnall, having started their relationship last May.

After her breakup with Andrew, Tasha shared that her mental health had suffered due to a lot of online negativity. She explained in an Instagram question session that she found it difficult to even get out of bed.

I was really eager to share this, but I’ve dealt with a lot of awful online harassment over the past year. It seriously affected my mental health, and I ended up not wanting to leave the house.

Writing this is making me really emotional, but it feels like a wonderful fresh start and a safe place to begin again.

Tasha shared with her 1.3 million Instagram followers that 2025 was a very difficult year due to severe online harassment. She expressed that she was looking forward to 2026 with the support of loved ones.

2025 was a really challenging year for my mental health. I dealt with some awful online harassment, but ultimately, I was able to overcome it and find genuine happiness.

‘I don’t want to talk much on it because I know people want to be sad and never be happy.

I’m done letting others push me to the point where I lose who I am and my passion for my work.

Pilgrimage: The Road To Holy Island airs on BBC Two on April 5 at 9pm.

Read More

2026-03-31 12:53