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Tasha Ghori broke down in tears on Strictly Come Dancing on Saturday night as she spoke about the negative backlash she has received online because of her disability.
The 26-year-old former Love Island star and dance partner Aljaz Skorjanec performed to Pink’s “What About Us” and impressed the judges, earning them the highest score of the series – 39 points.
But before her dance, Ghori, who is deaf from birth and wears a cochlear implant, became visibly emotional as she told viewers about online trolls who had filmed her speaking.
She revealed that she felt like she had let down “the whole deaf community” after receiving a barrage of cruel comments after appearing on the dating show Love Island in 2022.
The model, author, and podcaster from North Yorkshire became Love Island’s first deaf contestant when she appeared on the ITV show. She eventually came in fourth place alongside her 
boyfriend Andrew Le Page, with whom she is still in a relationship.
Ghori said she went on the show hoping to find love and raise awareness for the deaf community but instead fell victim to online hate.
“As I was about to leave the show, my dad sat me down, looked me straight in the eye, and said, ‘Tash, there are so many horrible things being written about you, especially on social media,'” she said.
“Videos were made about my voice and how I speak, and eventually I started trending.”
Ghori said the experience reached her “rock bottom.”
“I wanted to advocate for representation because I felt like I’d failed not just for myself, but the entire deaf community,” she said.
But she insisted she wouldn’t let the trolls win.
“I’m going to use my platform to educate people,” she said.
Ghouri currently has over 2.2 million followers across social media platforms.
She has worked with 10 Downing Street and the Department for Education to advocate for the needs of deaf people.
Ahead of the start of this year’s Strictly season, Ghouri acknowledged how much the moment meant to her.
“I can’t believe I’m appearing on Strictly Come Dancing.” “I’ve watched the show since I was a little girl and it’s an absolute favorite with the Gourley family so for me it’s a dream come true,” she said, becoming Strictly’s first deaf contestant to win.
The remaining 10 celebrities and their professional dance partners took to the dance floor on Saturday night as part of Strictly Come Dancing’s first Icon Week.
Taylor Swift and Beyoncé were among the stars honored during the show.
JLS singer JB Gill and his professional replacement partner Lauren Oakley topped the leaderboard behind Gory and Skorjanec, who achieved the highest score in this year’s series.
Gill’s partner, professional dancer Amy Dowden, was forced to miss last Sunday’s results presentation after being taken to the hospital as a “precautionary measure” due to “feeling unwell”.
Oakley filled in for them on Saturday’s show, singing a Bruno Mars medley with Gill, earning the pair a score of 39 points.
The celebration of icons continues on Sunday night, with professional dancers performing a Beyoncé medley and Johannes Radebe portraying Beyoncé’s alter-ego, Sasha Fierce.
