October 13th 2024.
Tasha Ghouri has captured the hearts of the nation with her breathtaking performances on Strictly Come Dancing 2024. Alongside her partner Aljaž Škorjanec, the 26-year-old former Love Island contestant has consistently topped the leaderboard and moved viewers to tears with her emotional routines. But there's more to Tasha than just her impressive dance skills - she's also making history as the first-ever Strictly contestant with a cochlear implant, following in the footsteps of 2021 winner Rose Ayling-Ellis.
You may have noticed Tasha's cochlear implant before, as it gained attention when she appeared in an ASOS modelling campaign. But what exactly is a cochlear implant and how does it work? Let's take a closer look.
A cochlear implant is an electronic device designed to assist with hearing. According to the Royal National Institute for Deaf People, it provides a sense of hearing for those who have severe to profound deafness. Unlike a hearing aid, which simply amplifies sounds, a cochlear implant uses electrical signals to directly stimulate the auditory nerve.
So how does it work? The device consists of two parts - an external component and an internal one. The external part has a microphone and a transmitter coil, while the internal part involves surgically placing electrodes on the cochlea, a spiral-shaped hollow bone in the inner ear. The microphone picks up sound and converts it into electrical signals, which are then transmitted to the electrodes. These electrodes are able to send a tiny electrical current to the auditory nerve, mimicking the process of natural hearing.
But what does this mean for Tasha on Strictly? She recently shared a video with her fans, answering their questions about her cochlear implant. Tasha explains that while hearing aids simply amplify sound, her implant allows her to actually hear through the use of electrical signals. She also points out that her implant has a different sound compared to natural hearing, but it can be tuned by her audiologist to adjust things like pitching and tone.
Tasha was born completely deaf in both ears, which is why she opted for a cochlear implant at the age of five. She also mentions that she has sensory loss, meaning the tiny hairs in her cochlea were missing and damaged from birth, for reasons unknown. While it can take time to adjust to a cochlear implant, Tasha's brain has adapted to it over the years.
Of course, there are some downsides to having a cochlear implant, such as concentration fatigue from lip reading all day, background noises, and sensory overload. Tasha also experiences frequent headaches due to the strong magnet in her implant. But overall, she's grateful for the opportunity to hear and feels that her implant has greatly improved her quality of life.
It's important to note that cochlear implants aren't an option for everyone who is deaf or hard of hearing. The NHS offers various types of hearing implants, depending on the cause of deafness. Additionally, some people may choose not to use an implant or hearing aid and prefer to communicate using sign language.
Tasha's journey with her cochlear implant has been a long one, but she's proud to be the first-ever contestant on Strictly with this technology. And as she continues to shine on the dancefloor, she's also raising awareness and educating others about the amazing capabilities of cochlear implants.
Don't miss Tasha and Aljaž's performances on Strictly Come Dancing 2024, airing on Saturdays and Sundays on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. And if you want to stay up to date on all the latest news and rumors from the show, be sure to join Metro's Strictly community on WhatsApp by clicking on the link and selecting "Join Chat." Keep dancing!
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