STRICTLY Come Dancing beauty Tasha Ghouri has hinted the show’s “couples curse” played a role in her split from Love Islander boyfriend Andrew Le Page.
She said the dance contest lit a fire inside her, turning her from “a girl to a fierce woman”.
But she revealed Andrew got “sick” of the impact the show was having on her life.
The Sun exclusively told how Tasha, 26, and Andrew, 29, had called time on their two-year relationship weeks after the Strictly final. She then appeared on celeb dating app Raya.
But now we can reveal the tell-tale signs were there ahead of their shock break-up.
Speaking to The Sun on Sunday days before the split became public, Tasha said of her Strictly journey and its impact on her romance: “I can’t even put into words how incredible the experience was.
"Like, honestly, every day, I’ve been on YouTube watching all the dances we did.
“Andrew’s getting sick of it.
“He is literally like, ‘Tasha!’. I just can’t get over it because the experience was just so surreal and once it ends it just ends.
“And that was the hardest part, you know that was it, you’re never dancing in that ballroom again.”
But she added: “I feel like I went into Strictly a girl and came out a fierce woman.”
Tasha and her pro partner Aljaz Skorjanec, 34, finished runners-up in the series, which was won by comedian Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell.
Tasha Gouri splits with Love Island partner Andrew La page as Strictly curse strikes again
‘Got my spark back’
The Love Island star, who is deaf and uses a cochlear implant, says the dance series made her grow as a person because she was surrounded by big personalities who boosted her inner confidence.
And she praised Aljaz, who returned to Strictly after a two-year absence, as a major factor in helping her blossom.
She said: “I feel so much more self-confident. I feel I’ve grown as a person.
“When I first went in Strictly, I wasn’t a big TV personality, especially around people like Wynne (Evans), who’s really funny, and Chris. Then you’ve got Pete (Wicks), who is very experienced with TV.
“I’d only done Love Island and that’s a reality dating show.
“So this is kind of the first show where it’s actually just about me and I felt quite scared.
“But eventually I really felt my confidence was growing because I was surrounded by such great people.
“I learned so much from each of them, and slowly I could feel myself getting more confident. I just feel like I came out a stronger, more confident and independent person.”
Tasha added: “I feel I’ve got my spark back. The last two years have been incredible, but it’s easy to lose that spark in yourself.
“But getting to dance with Aljaz, and the people you are around on Strictly are so positive, I just felt like the spark came back and now I’m ready to hit 2025 with a whole new energy in me.”
Meanwhile, a source close to Tasha and Andrew said they were “happy together but drifted apart”.
They continued: “The demanding nature of Strictly meant they didn’t spend as much time together and they realised they were on different paths.
“It has been heartbreaking for both of them.”
Tasha is currently keeping her mind off her relationship woes on the Strictly tour.
The source said: “Aljaz and his wife Janette (Manrara) have been amazing and taken Tasha under their wing — everyone on the tour has been so nice to her.
“The tour has been a blessing and it has given her a distraction to take her mind off things.”
And Tasha is already preparing for her next project — promoting her debut romantic fiction novel, Hits Different.
The source said: “Following the Strictly tour, she is going on a book tour, so the living arrangements between her and Andrew are not an immediate issue in their eyes.”
Tasha and Aljaz reunited on the dancefloor when the run of 30 sparkle-filled shows kicked off on Friday night at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham.
TV judges Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke will also be at venues across the UK until February 9.
The tour’s final performances will be at London’s O2 Arena. Of the tour, Tasha says: “I’ve heard it’s definitely a lot of fun, especially on the tour bus. I can’t wait to be on the tour bus with everybody.
“I can imagine it’s gonna be quite chaotic.”
Getting her dancing shoes on once again will be the perfect medicine for her relationship break-up as Tasha admits she has desperately missed the show.
She says: “I wish I was doing it every day and, when I was watching the dancers on YouTube, I was actually going over the two dances we were doing and I feel like I’ve forgotten all the steps already.
“So I’m a bit nervous. But yeah, honestly, over two and a half weeks I was just literally like, ‘I wish I could do this all the time’.”
Tasha says that, as well as reigniting her spark, Strictly helped her get in the best shape of her life.
The reality star admits that before taking part, she wasn’t really a gym girl — unlike most Love Islanders — and would gorge on unhealthy takeaways.
So competing on the BBC1 juggernaut balanced out her bad habits.
She explains: “I definitely felt like my strength really grew in my body.
When I first went on Strictly, I wasn’t going to the gym all the time.
“I went every now and then. I loved my takeouts. I love eating, you know, pizza and curries and things like that.
‘Lots of ideas’
“So when I went on Strictly, I probably wasn’t the fittest I have been.
“But after Strictly, I definitely got way stronger, I definitely toned up, even in my arms.
“You’re in a ballroom frame all day, so my arms are so toned now. I definitely felt like my body changed, but in the most positive way.”
Starring on Strictly has certainly raised Tasha’s profile and she hopes it will lead to other big TV appearances, as well as allowing her to raise awareness surrounding her disability.
The model — who admits competing for the Glitterball has “opened doors” — has been in talks to front documentaries about deafness.
And it’s a path she’s keen to go down, potentially even focussing on the subject of “ableism” in society.
She says: “I definitely would love to do documentaries around ableism, for example, because it’s not really spoken about.
“I’d also like to look at work around cochlear implants and how they change people’s lives.
“So deaf culture is something I’m really interested in focusing on.
“I’d like to do some educational documentaries that shine a light on so many of us who aren’t represented as much as we could be.
“That’s something I’m really passionate about.
“I’d also like to explore deaf cultures in different countries around the world and how that impacts travel.
“There’s loads of ideas in my head.”
But Tasha also has her eye on other, less serious, shows.
She says: “I would love to do I’m A Celebrity. I absolutely hate insects.
“That would be the biggest challenge for me.
“Any little spider and I freak out. But I’d be up for the challenge.
“I’d also love to take part in The Traitors. That’s one of the biggest shows of the moment and I’d love to have a go.”
