How Strictly Come Dancing's Tasha Ghouri will 'hear' the music despite being deaf

Strictly Come Dancing star Tasha Ghouri was born deaf just like 2021 champion Rose Ayling-Ellis. However unlike Rose the former Love Island star has been fitted with cochlear implants for most of her life,which will make her journey on the show a different experience.

Rose couldn't hear the music, and even illustrated this with a silent moment during one of her dances. However this won't be a problem for Tasha thanks to her implant.

Indeed some implants are so good they come close to natural hearing as they bascially mimic the way our ears work so she shouldn't have any issues hearing the music.

But what is a cochlear implant? According to the NHS website it is a small electronic hearing device for adults or children.

The tiny hair cells in the cochlea usually pick up sound vibrations. They send these vibrations through the hearing nerve to the brain. If those cells are damaged or missing, sound cannot reach the hearing nerve properly.

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Unlike a hearing aid, cochlear implants don't simply make sound louder but rather turn sound into electrical signals.

It does the job of the damaged or missing hair cells and sends these electrical signals directly to the hearing nerve. They then travel to the brain, which recognises them as sound.

While this has undoubtedly helped Tasha in her career as a professional dancer and will aid her on the show it is important to note a cochlear implant does not restore normal hearing and the results can be different for each person.

However, most adults notice an improvement in their ability to hear or understand speech and everyday sounds and if fitted when a child it can aid in learning to listen and speak.

Tasha was born deaf and was initially fitted for hearing aids before being given a single cochlear implant just before her fifth birthday.

She had that implant until she was sixteen and went five months before it was replaced at that point. she describes it as her "superpower".

Prior to getting the implant she was unable to speak communicated entirely in British Sign Language until that point. Due to this she later underwent speech therapy.

In December 2022 She told Naga Munchetty on BBC Breakfast her deafness causes migraines and exhaustion, due to the need to constantly lip read.

In May 2024 she told the Radio Times the fatigue can cause her to require "a few days in bed" to recuperate on account of sensory overload.