The father of deaf Love Island contestant Tasha Ghouri says he is “sick to the stomach” of the online trolling that is being hurled at her while she’s in the villa.
Tarek, the dad of the model who was born deaf and wears a cochlear implant, has been so disgusted by the horrible comments aimed at the 23-year-old that he rallied the other contestants’ families into releasing a joint statement.
Along with ITV2 show producers they say the trolling has been “abhorrent” and are calling for kindness from the viewers.
“It’s just shocking,” Tarek tells the Mirror. “It’s been some horrific. ‘deaf and dumb cow. B****. S***. She’s screwed every guy in the villa,’ type thing.
“It’s nasty and unnecessary. It makes me stick to the stomach, actually.
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“I don’t know what fuels people to even think like that. They don’t even know them. It’s quite bizarre.”
Tarek talked with Tasha, 23, about the possibility of becoming a target for online bullying, including about her implant before she went on the show.
Tarek says: “She said, ‘Dad, it’s not the first time I’ve had this’.” All the families were given social media training by ITV2 before the show which will continue when they leave.
Tarek, from Thirsk, North Yorks, says: “We’ve got no place for hate comments, this show’s about love.”
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