By including a deaf baker on this season, The Great British Baking Show has made an important step toward more inclusivity on the show. Tasha was introduced on the show just like any other player, and her interpreter, Daryl, was brought in as a completely normal, necessary addition. Some vocal fans of the show, however, have treated Tasha with utter disrespect from nearly the start of the season.
In the latest episode of GBBS, Botanicals Week, Tasha—who usually speaks vocally and communicates with her interpreter via a mixture of signing and verbal speech—spent the back half of the episode signing with British Sign Language (BSL). Some viewers chimed in on social media, criticizing Tasha for signing instead of speaking aloud. She might’ve been doing this, they claimed, because she lost in the technical and was having an overall bad week.
Luckily, some other folks in the GBBS fanbase came to defend Tasha almost immediately. “Very upsetting to see people criticising Tasha for her decision to sign,” one fan shared. “Deaf people are entitled to communicate however they want and feel comfortable, and that doesn’t always need to be one way or another. If it bothers you that you can’t understand, learn BSL.”
In fact, fans didn’t only defend Tasha; they also celebrated the portrayal of BSL in the show. This is the attitude we should all have: It’s great to see signing included in the show, a completely normal aspect of life that in no way shows that Tasha is a bad sport or fishing for sympathy, as some have accused her of doing.
A similar conversation happened after a moment in Episode 4. Tasha had to step out of the competition in the middle of the technical competition because of a terrible migraine. Some viewers tried to blame Tasha for dropping out of the round, falsely attributing her headache to the fact that she was struggling to complete a white chocolate-and-blackberry cheesecake. They accused her of “pretending” to be ill.
But GBBS viewers should understand that, per the Sound Relief Hearing Center, there is a link between hearing loss and migraines. There have been several studies connecting the two, reporting that any damage to the inner ear or the nerve that travels from the ear to the brain can result in migraines.
Now, we don’t know if this is what caused Tasha’s migraine—frankly, it’s not really our business. What we do know is that paying attention to our bodies and health is important, and Tasha was right to step out of the challenge. At the time, GBBS made a statement in defense of the contestant on Twitter: “Health first. Always.”
GBBS has yet to comment on the trolls trying to attack Tasha this week, however. In the past, the series has denounced bullying of certain contestants. It would be nice if the official Twitter account could shut these critics down again, giving Tasha the opportunity to sign—and bake—in peace.
Ultimately, Tasha was safe, even after a rough week. Dana was sent home, with Josh winning Star Baker. Tasha has already earned a Paul Hollywood handshake and won Star Baker twice, so even after a bit of a stumble this week, she’s still going strong heading into the back half of the competition.
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