Tasha Ghouri "manifested" her spot on 'Strictly Come Dancing'.
Tasha Ghouri always wanted to be on Strictly
The 26-year-old star - who shot to fame when she appeared on 'Love Island' in 2022 - admitted she's always wanted to take part in the competition and "broke down" when she found out she'd landed her spot on the show.
She told The Sun on Sunday newspaper: "I am very excited.
“I broke down when my management told me. I actually cried, I didn’t believe it at first. I said: ‘No, you’re pranking me!’ I was sitting next to Andrew [Le Page, boyfriend] in the living room with our dog Luna on the sofa.
"It was the perfect moment to find out. I was just so happy and speechless.
“It is definitely something I’ve dreamed of, so to actually be doing it is mind-blowing. I feel like it’s not fully kicked in yet.
Explaining how she often used the notes app in her phone to write, “I will be on Strictly Come Dancing in 2024 or 2025", she added: “I’ve been [writing the notes] since February 2023 as a manifestation, and it must have worked!”
And despite the recent allegations of bullying and abusive behaviour by the professional dancers on the show, Tasha - who previously dated Giovanni Pernice - isn't worried.
She said: “I wasn’t there – I’m here for my own experience on the show. So I’m focusing on myself to just really enjoy it."
Tasha was born unable to hear and had a cochlear implant fitted when she was five, and has been getting tips from 2021 winner Rose Ayling-Ellis, who was the show's first deaf contestant.
She said: “Rose reached out with some great advice, which I was really appreciative of,” she explains.
“As a Glitterball winner, her support gave me a huge confidence boost. Even though our hearing experiences differ, she totally gets where I might face challenges and shared some valuable tips.
"I watched Rose and she was absolutely incredible on the show. She inspired me to put myself out there and go on Love Island.
“I will always be massively thankful to Rose, because she really opened the door for me, for all of us.
"So, hopefully, I do well on the show, follow in her footsteps and make people in the deaf community proud as well.”