Strictly Come Dancing star 'nearly quit' after Ofcom row that saw 1,500 complaints

Tasha Ghouri, who is currently competing on Strictly Come Dancing, faced a tough time on Love Island in 2022, and even considered quitting the show with her partner

Love Island's Tasha Ghouri, 26, has made the leap from the storied villa to the glittering dance floor of Strictly Come Dancing on the BBC. As a runner-up on Love Island alongside her partner Andrew Le Page, the pair's relationship is still going strong two years after the show.

Ghouri, who is deaf and uses a cochlear implant, opened up about some of the more daunting experiences she faced on the ITV2 series, including an instance where she felt bullied by fellow contestants, as reported by OK!

It was during a contentious game of Snog, Marry, Pie on Love Island that Tasha went through a particularly tough ordeal when three male Islanders chose to 'pie' her and made disparaging remarks. Thousands of Ofcom complaints were lodged due to the way she was treated during that challenge.

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Reflecting on the emotional strain of the game, Tasha admitted to considering leaving the show with Andrew. "I was standing there thinking: 'Keep your head held high and don't show a reaction'. There's a clip and you can still see it in my face. It was a lot. I felt backed into a corner. It's such an intense environment and hard to escape. You're stuck in there together. I was ready to walk out," Tasha disclosed in an interview with The Sun.

Following the controversial episode, over 1,500 viewers reached out to Ofcom to voice their concerns. Villa favourites Luca Bish and Dami Hope later offered apologies to Tasha for their part in the incident, reports the Mirror.

Reflecting on the challenging times, Tasha revealed that she had told the show's producers that she'd "had enough", and Andrew expressed his willingness to leave the show with her. However, apologies from the boys soon followed.

"Then all of a sudden the boys apologised. It was a bittersweet moment. I'm a very forgiving person. I didn't want to live the rest of the weeks in a negative way. I forgive, but I don't forget," she added. Despite initial doubts about the authenticity of their relationship from their co-stars, Tasha and Andrew's bond has only strengthened since leaving the villa.

The couple have bought their first home together, and Andrew has proven himself to be Tasha's biggest supporter during her current stint on Strictly Come Dancing. He is frequently seen in the audience cheering for Tasha and her dance partner Aljaž Škorjanec, even sporting a T-shirt with his girlfriend's face on it during one live performance.

Tasha recently referred to Andrew as her 'future husband', but their relationship hasn't always been smooth sailing. They were hit by a massive cheating scandal when they appeared on Love Island together.

After pairing up at the beginning of the series, both are caught out by a wandering eye when Casa Amor comes around. Andrew got very close to influencer Coco Lodge which led to one of the most memorable moments in the dating show's history.

However, following a period of separation during which Tasha found comfort with another villa heartthrob, she ultimately chose to forgive Andrew and take him back.