Love Island's Tasha pens deafness awareness novel

Tasha Ghouri from Thirsk came fourth on ITV's Love Island in 2022

A reality TV contestant from North Yorkshire has said she hopes her debut novel will "shine light" on the importance of representing all types of people.

Tasha Ghouri, 25, from Thirsk, came fourth on Love Island in 2022 and was the ITV show's first deaf contestant.

She recently released her debut novel Hits Different, about a partially deaf young woman who dreams of becoming a dancer while looking for love.

Ms Ghouri said she wanted people with disabilities who read her book to "feel seen and heard".

Ms Ghouri said her book's main character wore a cochlear implant

Since finishing Love Island, Ms Ghouri has used her platform to create awareness of the day-to-day challenges faced by people with hearing loss.

She said that was why in her book, which was co-written with Lizzie Huxley-Jones, she gave the main character Cassie some of her own life experiences.

Like Ms Ghouri, Cassie wears a cochlear implant - a small electronic device that helps her to hear.

Ms Ghouri said she was very keen to have a main character who was a member of the deaf community.

"You don't often see a main character with a disability looking for love," she said.

"Growing up I never had that person to look up to, or books to read where the character had the same disability as me.

"So that's why we've done this, so especially the younger generation can read this and feel seen and heard."

She added: "Its so important to represent every single person, not just the people without disabilities - and it's important to shine light on that."

"I really do wish I'd had that growing up but I'm so glad I can do this now," she added.

Ms Ghouri said Hits Different was about showing how you have to "love yourself first before loving somebody else".

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