Love Island's first deaf contestant Tasha Ghouri won't need an interpreter in the villa

Love Island has announced its first ever deaf contestant is taking part in the dating show - but she won't need an interpreter while she's in the villa.

Tasha Ghouri, a 23-year-old model and dancer from North Yorkshire, will be one of the first singles to enter the villa for the 2022 series, which sees contestants couple up before bombshell singles start joining them and trying to recouple throughout the series.

Ghouri is the ITV2 show's first deaf contestant, but according to Metro she won't need an interpreter in her search for love as she has a cochlear implant.

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It gives a sensation of hearing with one part surgically implanted, while the second external part is worn on the outside of the ear.

A microphone on the external part picks up sound, which is processed by the implant.

The Royal National Institute for Deaf People has praised Love Island for including a deaf contestant, with a spokesperson telling Metro: "Our charity and supporters are really pleased that another major TV show is featuring a deaf contestant.

"Representation matters and, as Rose proved on Strictly Come Dancing, this can make a massive difference to the public’s understanding.

"And let’s hope the new season of Love Island is always shown with subtitles so that people who are deaf or have hearing loss get to enjoy the show like everyone else."

Ghouri has previously featured in modelling shots for Asos where her cochlear implant was visible as she showed off earrings for the brand.

Talking about how her friends and family would describe her, she said: "I think they’d say I’m inspirational because of my hearing and my cochlear implant. I inspire quite a lot of people because I’m really open about it."

Love Island's first lot of contestants were announced on Monday, with a sneak peek at the new villa offered on Tuesday.

The show is still filmed in Mallorca, but has moved to a different villa as the previous one was sold following the last series.

Executive producer Mike Spencer revealed that it had been designed to encourage drama, saying: “It’s the first time, I think, that we’ve designed it more editorially. We know how many chat areas we need, we know you want those places you can sneak off to.”

Spencer added that the fire pit area where the islanders often gather ahead of dumpings and new arrivals is now more of an “arena” for the show’s most dramatic moments.

Love Island launches on ITV2 on June 6 at 9pm.

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