JUST six months ago, when Tasha Ghouri was last on the cover of Fabulous, she dismissed any fears over the Strictly Come Dancing Curse.
Despite countless couples breaking up after appearing on the BBC1 dancing show, the 26-year-old was not worried about her relationship with boyfriend Andrew Le Page, whom she met on Love Island in 2022. She even described the Curse as “laughable”.
Tasha met Andrew Le Page on Love Island in 2022[/caption]
Fast-forward to January, and while Tasha was travelling around the country with the Strictly Come Dancing Live tour, it was revealed the pair had split.
Although much has been said about what happened, Tasha has kept a dignified silence, until now.
“It was such an emotional break-up,” she admits. “It is hard. Any break-up is hard. I spent so much time with Andrew. We were together for two-and-a-half years.
“We had a house. We got our dog Luna together in 2023. It was heartbreaking. But sometimes you just grow apart, and that’s what happened.
“I still have so much respect for him, but people do grow out of relationships.”
It appears the couple hit a rocky patch as Tasha’s popularity soared after she made it to the final of Strictly.
“It didn’t end badly at all,” Tasha admits. “Yes, we are still in touch. We’re still on good terms.
“We have our dog, who we both absolutely love. We are going to co-parent her, so of course we are still speaking.
“And I still care about him, of course I do. But we’re on different paths, and that’s how relationships can be. It’s normal.”
Some reports have suggested that Tasha left estate agent Andrew blindsided by signing up to celeb dating app Raya immediately after ending things. She later deleted her profile.
“Do you know what?” she sighs. “I think at the time, I made a silly mistake. I did it way too soon. It was just a heat-of-the-moment kind of situation. Everyone makes mistakes.
“And in that situation, I did and I own up to that. Unfortunately, that’s something I just have to put my hands up and say: ‘Tasha, it was way too soon.’
“It is what it is. I can’t turn back time, but I’ve learned from that.”
Any relationship falling apart is difficult, but having to deal with it in the full glare of the public eye must make it all the harder.
“Yeah,” Tasha says, nodding. “That’s something I struggled with – having a public-eye relationship, then the break-up is in the public eye, too.
“Sadly, people are going to have opinions and think they know what’s going on in the relationship. But only Andrew and I know what happened between us. We are quite private people.
“It’s been a difficult thing to navigate, going through all that and having to see it on social media and pretty much everywhere.
“I had to put my head down, just focus on myself and think: ‘This is not for ever.’”
Speaking of social media, while Andrew immediately unfollowed Tasha and wiped his social media of any trace of her, she has not done the same.
Tasha with her dog Luna, who she and Andrew co-parent[/caption]
“Memories are always there for me,” she explains. “I’m always going to see them as positive and happy.
“And that’s a part of my life I don’t ever want to get rid of. I’m so grateful for Love Island.
“It gave me the platform to raise awareness for the deaf community and gave me the opportunities I have now.
“And it did give me Andrew, too. When I’m 80 years old, I want to look back and think: ‘This was a part of the chapters of my life. And every chapter has been beautiful.’
“But I’m now starting a new chapter and a new beginning. And if anything, I find it empowering and I’m proud of myself.”
Sadly, people are going to have opinions and think they know what’s going on in the relationship. But only Andrew and I know what happened between us.
Tasha
The pair had moved in together in London just weeks after coming fourth in the Love Island final, and last February bought a detached fixer-upper in Hertfordshire, which they had been renovating.
Tasha moved out before going on tour, and has now got a new place, while Andrew returned to Guernsey in the Channel Islands, where he’s from.
He’s currently looking for a new home in London with a garden for their dog.
Tasha explains: “I’ve never lived on my own before, so this is a whole new thing. It felt so weird at first. I think people do get scared about being on their own.
“I’m learning to find my independence and that will take time. I do have Luna with me as well. It makes it a little bit easier.”
As part of her new single-girl attitude, Tasha also booked her first-ever solo holiday to Dubai, something she was apprehensive about.
“I just wanted to go away to kind of process everything,” she explains.
“And have a break for myself. I thought it would be good, but I was a bit scared before I went, because I’ve never done a solo trip before.
“I was thinking: ‘Do I just go for dinner alone? Is that normal?’ But I am learning about myself and taking new paths. So, while it’s scary, I’m also really excited.”
Despite her words, it’s clear the end of her relationship has taken its toll, but she credits the Strictly tour for helping her get through the tough times.
“Dancing is like a space for whatever emotions you are feeling,” she says. “And I think the tour really did help me, because it was somewhere I could have a release for my emotions and take my mind off things.
“When I was dancing, my mind was just empty. And that’s the beauty of dancing. It can do that. It can be medicine.”
Tasha narrowly missed out on the Glitterball trophy to the show’s first-ever blind contestant Chris McCausland, but she was voted the winner most times on the tour.
“Strictly was a dream come true for me. I had such an amazing time there and I’ve become great friends with so many people. All the professionals are lovely.
“Obviously, I will keep in touch with my partner Aljaž Škorjanec. He’s got his tour coming up with his wife Janette Manrara. They will smash it.
“Jamie [Borthwick] and I have this lovely brother/sister relationship now. I’m so lucky that I met him.
“The whole show was like magic. Chris came up to me at the final and went: ‘Tash there’s 50% in the final with disability.’
“You know you don’t really see that on TV, so seeing two different people with two different disabilities and two different stories both raising awareness and having a platform to help other people was amazing.
“But the Strictly tour was so much fun in a different way, because there’s no pressure and the shows were in arenas. Everyone let loose and had a good time.
“You get to spend more time with the judges, too. It was just a wonderful experience and I felt very lucky to be part of it.”
The way it ended was perfect. I thought I’d be crying my eyes out, but actually, I was happy.
Tasha
After loving it so much, Tasha expected to be devastated when it came to an end, but instead she was ready to get back to reality. “I think it finished at the right time. It becomes your life for six months. You are in this bubble.
“The way it ended was perfect. I thought I’d be crying my eyes out, but actually, I was happy – happy I had that experience, ready for it to end and move on to the next part of my life. It felt like the right timing.”
Tasha, who was born completely deaf, is now focused on releasing her book, Your Superpower, documenting having her cochlear implant fitted when she was five, and the struggles she encountered with her disability.
“It’s a really special book. When I was younger, there wasn’t any representation for people like me. When Rose Ayling-Ellis went on Strictly [in 2021], she was the first deaf person on TV that I felt was a voice for us. I wish I’d had more of that when I was younger.
“So, this book is to help people find their self-confidence and self-love with their disability. I am really proud of it. I share my experiences and how I’ve overcome my obstacles.”
Tasha had a successful career as a model, and became Love Island’s first deaf contestant in 2022, but even then she was targeted by trolls who mocked her voice.
In her book, she interviews people from all walks of life with disabilities and differences of all kinds, such as blindness, alopecia, acne and mental health issues, to show how everyone can use their differences to help others.
Tasha has ignored the criticism of her voice and recorded the audiobook herself, because she wants other hearing-impaired children to be able to hear someone that speaks like them.
‘Part of the challenge’
“The audiobook has been a challenge,” she explains. “I was nervous doing it with my own voice, because I will always be a bit self-conscious about it.
“But my voice is my superpower too, and I wanted to normalise a deaf accent and the beauty of it. I want people to feel listened to, and seen and heard.
“I’ve had speech therapy before and there are some sentences and some words I stumble across and have to go back and redo. But it’s part of the challenge.
“I’m just reading the chapters and trying to be clear and concise, and get the right tone and mood.
“It actually felt quite emotional reading it out. It is a beautiful book – I feel like I’m sharing a vulnerable part of myself.”
While Tasha has been cha-cha-cha-ing around the country, her former fellow Love Islanders Ekin-Su and Luca Bish have been back on Love Island: All Stars. Did she get to watch any of it?
“No, I didn’t get the chance, but I did see clips on social media. I’m so happy for Ekin-Su.
“She seems really happy with Curtis [Pritchard]. I think it’s so lovely that everyone has a chance to go back in and maybe find love. But it is weird to see them back in the villa again.”
And now she’s single, has she had the call about being on the series next year? She shakes her head: “I’ll be honest, the Love Island chapter for me is closed.
“You won’t be seeing me on All Stars any time soon. It’s not what I want to do any more. I’m looking forward. Now, a Strictly Come Dancing All Stars… I would absolutely do it!”
And what about dating again? “Oh, absolutely not,” she says, resolutely. “There are no men sliding into my DMs and that’s fine, because I really want to just concentrate on myself and my career.
“This year is all about Tasha and the new chapter of my life.”
- Your Superpower: Embrace What Makes You Different by Tasha Ghouri (£20, Piatkus) is out April 24
IN THE MAKE-UP CHAIR WITH TASHA
Do you have any skincare heroes?
I’ve just started using Dr.Jart+ and I love Laneige Water Bank cream. I cleanse, and use serum and moisturiser, plus sometimes retinol for breakouts.
What are your make-up bag essentials?
L’Oréal Paris Lumi Glotion. It’s perfect for a bronzy look. And a Charlotte Tilbury lipliner, such as Iconic Nude.
Do you have any beauty hacks?
Eyebrow lamination saves so much time. I can just brush them up and they’re good to go.
Who is your beauty icon?
Tate McRae. I love her make-up, her hair, her glam. . . Everything!
Describe your beauty evolution.
I’d never used fake tan before Strictly, but now I’ve fallen for it. I love Bondi Sands 1 Hour Express.
