Strictly Come Dancing accused of a fix after signing ANOTHER trained dance contestant: Bosses face backlash over Love Island’s Tasha Ghouri – who starred in music videos and won major competitions

Strictly Come Dancing is in danger of being embroiled in a new conflict following the arrival of trained dancer Tasha Ghouri.

MailOnline can reveal the former Love Island star, 25, has taken part in a number of major dance events and appeared in music videos, sparking concerns she may have an unfair advantage over her celebrity co-stars.

Last year’s series was tarnished by accusations that actor Layton Williams, a veteran West End performer, had the upper hand over his opponents because of his extensive dance background.

And Tasha’s participation in the BBC One programme could prove just as controversial, given she has been dancing since she was five and has entered competitions.

An insider from the show said: ‘Tasha’s contract has definitely raised some eyebrows. She’s a dancer by trade and a reality star and model, so it feels like she’s overqualified to be on the show.

‘Tasha is certainly no novice and will always have a big head start on her fellow players, even before practice has started.

‘I feel like her being on Strictly is a bit unfair to all the other contestants, especially those who are completely new to the dance world.’

Tasha was the first Love Island star to appear on the show with a cochlear implant, an electronic device she had fitted at the age of five.

The star’s parents discovered she was deaf when she was 12 months old and Tasha received years of speech therapy.

She says the disability has become her “superpower” and before going on Love Island she vowed to become an inspiration to the deaf community, just like her idol, former Strictly champion Rose Ayling-Ellis.

Tasha told MailOnline in June 2022: ‘I love Strictly and as a dancer Rose is such a great role model, it was so powerful what she did. She represented me, and also the deaf community, and I just thought it was amazing. It was a beautiful message.’

She met her boyfriend Andrew Le Page on the dating show and the couple have since bought a house which they are renovating together in Guernsey.

The reality star shared how dancing has helped her ‘hearing journey’ and how she is able to move to the rhythm of the vibrations, just like 2021 Glitter Ball winner Rose, who is profoundly deaf.

MailOnline has contacted Strictly and Tasha’s representative for comment.

Rose has been in a relationship with sacked Strictly professional Giovanni Pernice, who previously had an affair with Tasha, but that won’t drown out the controversy surrounding her dance background.

Tasha trained at the Creative Academy in Slough, where she graduated with a First Class Honours degree in Dance Performance.

After qualifying, she got her first job in the sector, in a French ski resort.

Tasha said of her time as a dancer at the Folie Douce bar: ‘It was truly a dream come true. I got to dance high up in the mountains with views of the snow and dreamy sunny days.’

She also got the lead role of Wonder Woman in a dance event called Move It, one of the biggest competitions in Europe.

Tasha has appeared in several music videos, including a promo for British artist MNEK ft. Sleepwalkr called More Than Words in which she performed with dancers with hearing loss to raise awareness for the deaf community.

Her work raising awareness of the disability has earned her a spot in the 2024 series, alongside stars including former footballer Paul Merson, blind comedian Chris McClausland and TV presenter Nick Knowles.

Former Strictly pro James Jordan has expressed concern about the show’s growing trend of signing more celebrities with a dance background.

He is convinced that beginners in ballroom now have no chance of winning, which is contrary to the spirit of Strictly.

He said: ‘Do I think Strictly is going too far by bringing in professionally trained dancers? Yes.

‘I would say to anyone who is considering doing Strictly, ‘Don’t do Strictly unless you have some kind of dance training because then you have no chance.’

Pussycat doll Ashley Roberts, Girls Aloud singer Kimberley Walsh, EastEnders actress Maisie Smith and X Factor star Fleur East have all been criticised for their dancing experience before the show.

However, many participants who attended drama school claim that their dance knowledge got in the way of the audience’s mood.

Actress Molly Rainford, a former student of Sylvia Young, blamed her drama school background for her recurring entry into the dreaded dance competition.

In a 2022 speech, she said: “I think that may have been a factor.”