BBC Strictly Come Dancing in fresh fix row as fans fume over Tasha Ghouri's advantage

Strictly Come Dancing's first live show has sparked a 'fix' row online as BBC viewers debate one contestant's advantage on the dancefloor.

Former Love Island star Tasha Ghouri rocketed to the near top of the leaderboard on Saturday night with Aljaz Skorjanec, dazzling with a cha cha to Sabrina Carpenter's summer anthem Espresso. Tallying an impressive 30 points, they levelled with Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola.

But some fans of the star-studded show cried foul, pointing out Tasha's prior dance training. Prior to rising to fame thanks to her stint on Love Island, Tasha worked as a model and dancer. The 26-year-old took up ballet at the age of three and later train in commercial streetstyle dancing.

"I love tasha but she isn’t meant to be on the show because she is already a PROFESSIONAL DANCER. #Strictly," one fumed on Twitter (X) as Strictly aired on Saturday night. "Love tasha ghouri but bit unfair her being in strictly when she’s a dancer? #Strictly," another added, with a third quipping: "Tasha was great and has the potential to be even better but come on, an 8? Bit high. #strictly."

"Do the #Strictly judges not know Tasha used to be a pro dancer?" one Strictly viewer mused. However, others quickly jumped to Tasha's defence. "I wonder why all the Karens and Deborahs who had an issue with Layton being a professional dancer last year have no problem with Tasha #Strictly," one supporter penned on Twitter with agreeing as they declared: "some of yall should not pi** me off. people should leave tasha alone and let her enjoy her strictly journey pls. #Strictly #StrictlyComeDancing."

Tasha and her boyfriend Andrew La Page are brushing off any fears of the infamous Strictly Come Dancing curse. Speaking ahead her debut on the BBC series, the professional dancer said she is confident that her relationship won't be rocked by the show's notorious reputation for breaking up couples.

She's head over heels for her beau, whom she met on Love Island, declaring him "the hottest man on this whole planet" in a heartfelt interview with The Sun newspaper. Tasha enthused: "Andrew, to me, is the hottest man on this whole planet. I look at him and I'm like: 'Yeah, that's my man! ' Me and Andrew trust each other 100 per cent."

Dismissing any concerns about the so-called curse, she said: "It's not a make-or-break for us. We're going to breeze through this because we're going to marry each other one day, you know? " Tasha added that they didn't even need to discuss it: "It doesn't bother us at all. We didn't have a discussion about 'the Strictly curse' because we trust each other."

She also revealed that Andrew and her dance partner, Aljaz Skorjanec, are getting along famously: "He has no worries at all. If anything, he was super-happy and could see the great partnership we had. He came to rehearsals the other day and watched for a little bit."

Tasha shared a light-hearted moment: "Aljaz taught Andrew some dance moves, which was funny." She spoke of their growing friendship: "Aljaz is so happy with his wife [Janette Manrara] and we went on a double date last night, and had a lovely dinner with their beautiful daughter, Lyra. Andrew's been so supportive through it all."

Tasha, who was born deaf and received a cochlear implant at the age of five, is aiming to be a role model for others facing similar challenges. She shared: "I'm doing 'Strictly' because it's been my biggest dream. It's genuinely been a goal for years, even more than Love Island. I watch it and I'm like, 'I want to be on that dance floor one day.' And I'm doing it for representation. I want to inspire younger Tashas out there who struggle with confidence and self-love."

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