Love Island 2022 'signs up first ever deaf contestant'

30 May 2022, 07:17 | Updated: 30 May 2022, 09:49

By Naomi Bartram

@naomibartram

Dancer Natasha Ghouri will reportedly be Love Island’s first ever deaf contestant.

Love Island is set to welcome its first-ever deaf contestant Natasha Ghouri, according to reports.

While the final line up is yet to be announced, the 23-year-old dancer is thought to be making her way to the villa next week.

See the full Love Island line up here!

Natasha - who is a dancer and model - wears a cochlear implant which helps with her hearing loss.

Last year, she featured in an ASOS advertising campaign for earrings, as she wrote at the time: “MY HEART IS FULL RIGHT NOW! Thanks so much for all of your kind messages WOW.

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“It may just be an ear but it means so much more – like what @rnid_uk said representation matters, and I’m proud to represent my community.

“Biggest love to @asos for welcoming me in and breaking boundaries as this will really help and inspire people out there.

“Everyone is really excited about having Natasha on the show,’ an insider said. ‘It’s something really positive for youngsters to see.”

A source told the Sun: “Everyone is very excited. It's something really positive for youngsters to see. Natasha has a bubbly personality”.

Annie Harris, at the Royal National Institute for Deaf People, said: "We are really pleased that another major TV show is featuring a deaf contestant. Representation matters."

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A post shared by Tasha Amber Ghouri (@tashaghouri)

Heart.co.uk has reached out to ITV for comment.

This comes after PE teacher Hugo Hammond became Love Island’s first-ever disabled contestant after he was born with a club foot.

The 25-year-old said at the time: “I had around 20 correction operations before the age of eight, so that was pretty heavy, pretty hardcore.

“It doesn’t really affect me too much, I’m very lucky. [If] I’m on my feet all day doing whatever I’ll want to sit down in the evening but I’m pretty sure that’s the same for everyone, obviously I can’t compare it.”

This comes after Love Island bosses shared the first teasers for its eight series, saying in a statement: “Love Island is the OG of dating shows and after 7 years of matchmaking, marriages and babies, for 8 weeks this summer, we're officially owning love. So stand down all you pretenders - Love Is Ours.”