‘THE FUTURE IS LOOKING BRIGHT FOR US’

LOVE ISLAND’S TASHA GHOURI AND ANDREW LE PAGE TELL OK! ABOUT LIFE AFTER THE VILLA, STAYING OUT OF DRAMA AND PLANS FOR MARRIAGE AND BABIES

When OK! arrives at our exclusive shoot with Love Island’s Tasha Ghouri and Andrew Le Page, it’s clear love is in the air. From stealing kisses to the besotted looks they give one another, it’s evident that this is the real deal.

And it’s not long before the pair are donning wedding outfits for our Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker-inspired shoot – following their final date on the ITV2 show, which recreated the scene of Kravis’ rose-filled engagement.

So could this be a glimpse into their future? “For sure!” Tasha, who is wearing a white veil, tells us. “It was fun to be in the wedding outfits and you never know, it might be real soon.”

“We’ll see!” laughs Andrew. “Obviously we’ve got a little while yet but it felt good to dress up. Our final date was amazing so when it comes to the proposal, I’m going to have to step it up a lot more!”

In the villa, estate agent Andrew, 27, told dancer and model Tasha, 23, that it would be around four years before he popped the question, but when we sit down with the couple, he tell us that timeline has sped up. “Yeah, I’m not going to lie it has, definitely,” he says. “I love everything about Tasha. I don’t think I’ll be waiting four years if it carries on like this.”

And a thrilled Tasha can’t help but fist pump and say “Yes!” upon hearing this, before adding, “It’s very much going in the right direction.”

“We’re inseparable. I had one night away from her and she was like, ‘No, you can come back now!’” Andrew laughs.

“We’re literally two peas in a pod,” adds Tasha. “We’ve got a lot stronger. I think not having the pressure of being in the villa, the cameras or being around people has really taken the pressure off. We’ve started to be more ourselves around each other and it’s felt natural.”

Something else that has also changed is Tasha’s view on having children. “At the start of the process, Tasha told me she didn’t want kids,” Andrew says. “I said, ‘That’s cool, it’s not a dealbreaker for me,’ and then five days before the baby challenge, she sat me down and said, ‘I can actually see myself having kids with you one day.’ I was very surprised as it was such a change, but I was obviously very happy. I couldn’t stop smiling.”

And Tasha says her U-turn was all down to meeting the “right person”. She tells us, “When my mum and dad came in and I was speaking to them about it, even they were shocked as they knew how much I didn’t want to have kids, but they can see how happy I am. It just goes to show that if you meet the right person your opinion can change. Now I’ve met Andrew and I can see it happening.

“You know when you have a vision in your head of your life further down the

‘ I’m going to have to step It up for the proposal’

line? I can see it sometimes. It has changed because of Andrew.”

And how many kids are in that vision? “Only one!” Tasha confirms, although Andrew has slightly different ideas. “I’d love two,” he says. “She changed her mind from zero to one, so I feel like maybe we can see about having more than one... It’s a long way off but we’ll discuss it further down the line.”

The couple endured their fair share of ups and downs in the villa, from making things official and their final date, to tears in the aftermath of Casa Amor and landing among the bottom of the public votes. But thankfully they have put the lows firmly behind them and have gone from strength to strength.

“The public have been so supportive. It’s been all love and we didn’t expect it. People even come up to us when we’re shopping,” says Tasha.

Andrew continues, “The strangest thing that happened was after we went to watch Coldplay and we were in Mcdonald’s, there was a man from Denmark and he was just shaking and crying when he saw us.”

Support has also come in the form of celebrity fans, including TV star Vicky Pattison, actress Karen Gillan and former Islander Laura Anderson.

“Karen Gillan follows me on Instagram, which is pretty cool, and Laura has been really sweet and had my back throughout the show,” says Tasha. “And Vicky has been really supportive and told me that you can’t please everyone. I think I really needed to hear that and I’ve learnt that now.”

So among a barrage of support, how did Tasha feel about their co-star Danica Taylor saying that she questioned if her and Andrew’s feelings were real before they became boyfriend and girlfriend?

“I think just because we were up and down, it doesn’t mean that we weren’t genuine. Every relationship has its ups and downs and ours wasn’t plain sailing, but it got us to where we are now.

“I think it’s hard to judge someone’s relationship just because it’s up and down. Our feelings throughout were genuine and

for us the only opinion that matters is ours.”

And when it comes to their journey, the pair say that they wouldn’t change a thing. “I think everything that happened made us stronger,” says Andrew.

Tasha adds, “Sometimes you have to go through the hard times to get to the good times. I have a saying that life’s a climb but the view is great and that’s how I see our relationship in the villa because at the end it was great.”

The loved-up pair are currently in the process of apartment hunting in London while being based at Tasha’s shared flat.

Andrew, who lived in Dubai before Love Island, says, “We’re going to rent and then save so we can get a house together. We’ve decided on an area. Tasha is an east London girl and I was in west London before, so obviously we’re going to be in east London,” he laughs.

“I live with flatmates and Andrew is living out of a suitcase, so we really want a place that’s ours and we can make a home,” says Tasha. “My mum has been texting me every day saying, ‘Have you found a place yet?’”

And while a little one isn’t on the cards for the couple just yet, they are planning to add two fur babies to their family.

“Andrew wants a Golden Retriever or a Labrador and I want a Great Dane or a German Shepherd. But we need a bit of time just us two as I’ll get jealous when Andrew gives all the attention to the dogs.”

Since the show wrapped earlier this month, there has been endless amounts of drama between the contestants, from Coco Lodge and Summer Botwe clashing at the reunion over Josh Le Grove, to George Tasker throwing

“Yeah, it’s become quite a big thing,” he laughs. “It’s a bit of an iconic saying. We love it and we think it’s funny. When we went to Guernsey, the hotel got us a brunch and it said, ‘Here’s a brunch or whatever.’”

“Obviously it wasn’t funny at the time,” adds Tasha. “But we can laugh about it now. It’s funny seeing people putting it on signs in their bathrooms.”

We also have to quiz the couple on fans believing that besties Dami Hope and Paige Thorne are “too” close. “I honestly think they’re just friends, there’s nothing to it,” says Andrew. “I don’t know if it bothers Indiyah [Polack] but I don’t think she has anything to worry about.”

“Indiyah and Paige are great friends too,” adds Tasha. “Dami and Paige are literally just the best of friends. You can

have best friends that are boys and girls these days!”

And when it comes to the other couples, Tasha thinks they all have what it takes to go the distance. “I think they all have great potential,” says Tasha. “As long as they have each other’s backs and communicate, they’ll last.”

“I have no idea who will,” says Andrew. “But hopefully they all will.”

Since leaving Majorca, Tasha and Andrew have been hit with job offers left, right and centre, with Tasha becoming ebay’s pre-loved fashion ambassador and Andrew being rumoured for Dancing On Ice.

“This is the first I’ve heard of it but

I’d love to do it if they’d have me,” says Andrew. “I can’t dance but I’ve got a very good teacher in Tasha.”

But there’s been one opportunity from across the pond that has been particularly hard to ignore for Andrew.

“While I was in the villa, I had a DM from the Selling Sunset Instagram saying if I’m ever in LA I’ve got a job, which is pretty cool,” says Andrew, who is from Guernsey. “I don’t know if that’s true but it would be such a cool show to go on. We’ll see,” he teases.

“It will happen, you have to believe in it!” says Tasha, who has her sights set on Strictly Come Dancing. “I think Strictly would be really interesting because its [dancing] styles I’ve never done before so it would be a challenge. So who knows!”

Tasha, who is from Yorkshire, also wants to continue raising awareness for the deaf community. The star was born deaf and had a cochlear implant fitted at the age of five, something she described as her “superpower” when she opened up to her fellow Islanders during their first night in the villa.

“I’m confident enough to be open about it so people were aware to ensure I didn’t get pushed in the pool or people didn’t cover their mouths so I couldn’t lip read. But Andrew was the only guy I felt comfortable enough with to speak about it properly and that just spoke volumes,” Tasha says. “I knew there was something special about him deep down. When we were on the plane back from Guernsey, he was like, ‘Shall I change the batteries for you?’ and he did it. Little things like that are so nice to have. I feel like I’m growing around Andrew.”

And Andrew says Tasha opening up about her superpower was what sealed his feelings for her. “When we spoke about it one on one, that was the moment I fell for her. I think she’s just so incredible and so inspiring.”

So what has the response from the deaf community been like? “Amazing,” says Tasha. “Even my mum and dad have been getting messages. There’s been thousands. It’s overwhelming, but in the best possible way. I’ve walked out feeling

like I’ve done something good. There were hard times but coming out and seeing what the deaf community has said has been so nice. I hope I’ve shown that it is a superpower.

“I think it’s something that is seen in a negative way. But there’s not a stereotypical or certain way of being deaf or having a cochlear implant. I was just being true to myself. And your superpower doesn’t define you, it’s just a part of who you are. I’ve had messages from people saying, ‘I’ve got a cochlear implant and now I’ve got the confidence to wear my hair up.’ That’s what I wanted to do with this and show that people can do whatever they want.”

She continues, “But I think there’s a lot more awareness needed and we’ve still got a long way to go in terms of what needs to be done, as coming out of the show there was some negativity. I don’t want to say too much about it, but there were comments on social media that were ableism and for me that was a step too far. You can have opinions about someone but when you bring someone’s superpower into it, to me that is not OK.

“When I came out of the villa, my dad sat me down and told me all the things that had been said and I said, ‘OK cool, I’m going to move forward and do my thing.’ But I’m lucky enough to have a thick skin and I always focus on the positives. I’m aware not everyone does, so there’s still a way to go. I’ve got goals to smash.”

And the person who will be supporting Tasha every step of the way is Andrew. “I want to see her smash it and I want to work hard and build a great future for us.”

“I want us to have the best life and memories together,” Tasha adds. “The future is looking very bright for us.”