Love Island Tasha Ghouri has signed up for Strictly Come Dancing, it has been reported.
The 25-year-old model and dancer became the first deaf contestant to appear on season eight of the ITV2 dating show, and will now enter the upcoming series of Strictly.
Tasha is believed to have dated former dance pro Giovanni Pernice, 33, for a few months in January 2022 after winning Strictly last year with Rose Ayling-Ellis, and before meeting and living with fellow Islander Andrew Lepage that year.
It comes after Giovanni was hit with a complaint by former Strictly partner Amanda Abbington, 50, who accused him of ‘bullying’ in the rehearsal room.
Amanda – who exited the series finale after five weeks – has since given interviews in which she claims there was behavior of a ‘sexually degrading nature’.
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Meanwhile, some other former dance partners of Giovanni have allegedly raised concerns, with Sherlock actress Amanda claiming she spoke to women with similar experiences.
Giovanni has denied any wrongdoing and vowed to ‘remove (his name)’, refusing to keep a low profile since the scandal began.
A source told The Sun about the new potential Strictly star: ‘Tasha has what it takes to be top drawer.
‘Although fans who like to travel will be angry, they are professional dancers, others who like to watch extraordinary moments from the day will be more satisfied.
‘He is also a powerful force behind good campaigns and raising awareness for people with disabilities.
‘Link Giovanni is unfortunate to say the least, but above all else Tasha is a beautiful girl who deserves this amazing opportunity.’
It was previously reported that Tasha and Giovanni were connected through Instagram and exchanged messages on the app before meeting.
According to reports, Giovanni wined and dined Tasha but the romance didn’t last as he traveled around the country for the Strictly tour.
‘Giovanni goes on and on when it comes to Tasha,’ an insider said at the time. ‘They have a lot in common, they’re both dancers, and she’s learned a lot about the deaf community performing with Rose on Strictly, which Tasha admires.
‘Tasha was impressed by how gentlemanly he was, he took her out to the top of a London restaurant and offered to send a car to collect her, but she is independent and always makes her own way to see people.’
The source added to the Mail Online: ‘The father has not come forward because Giovanni travels a lot with the Strictly tour and Tasha has been involved with other people.’
Tasha also appeared to reference the dancer while on the ITV show, when she said: ‘I’ve had an Italian date before and it wasn’t for me.’
A BBC spokesman said: ‘The celebrity contestants for the series will be announced in due course.’
Metro.co.uk has contacted representatives for Tasha Ghouri and the BBC for comment.
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