Strictly's Chris McCausland was 'terrified' to be first blind contestant
Chris McCausland has spoken about how "terrified" he was to become the first blind person to participate in Strictly Come Dancing.
However, the comedian, who has become a fan favourite on the highly popular BBC dance competition, overcame his fear because of the responsibility he felt as a representative of "people who are blind, people with a disability and people who are underrepresented".
He told The Guardian: "When you weigh that up, and you stop thinking about yourself so much, and the fact that you’re s***ting your pants, there becomes more benefit than risk."
McCausland, 47, had sight as a child but completely lost his eyesight in his late teens as a result of the eye condition retinitis pigmentosa. It is genetic and affected his mother and grandmother, as well as McCausland’s sister.
Speaking about the gradual loss of his eyesight, McCausland said: "It is so slow that it’s like a frog in boiling water - you don’t notice it."
In a previous interview with Big Issue, McCausland said he was "in a lot of denial" when he was younger and losing his sight, as he thought there could be a cure.
He said: "Being blind wasn’t just something that happened to me, it was hereditary. Nan was blind, my mum was losing her sight. It was always treated as just part of life, so you get on with it. That’s fed into my way of viewing it.
"But I did always think, things are moving so fast, we’ve got the internet now, surely there will be a cure and I’ll be able to see by the time I’m 30. I mean 40. I mean… and it just moves on and on... When you’re losing your sight gradually, there’s never a clear moment when you are forced to deal with it. I’d refuse to be associated with things connected to it, like, 'I’m not using a stick, I’m going to pretend I can see'.
“But you get into more trouble pretending there’s nothing wrong. It wasn’t until I lost my sight completely that I accepted it."
The comedian is paired with Dianne Buswell for Strictly and has previously said he has no visual frame of reference for the dances they perform. Buswell said on Strictly that she isn’t able to show him what the dance moves look like, but can manoeuvre him physically to teach him.
"I’ve found that Chris places his hand on my body and feels how my arms are or feels what my legs are doing and then he instantly gets a sense of what he should be doing," she said.
McCausland added in his recent interview: "Sometimes she has to just yank my arms where she wants them."
He described how he has figured out how to keep his posture during the dances by coming up with mental images and said: "I’ve found the best thing to do is pretend you need to go to the toilet and keep your cheeks clenched."
Fans have reacted positively to McCausland’s appearance on the show, praising him and Buswell for the ways they have adjusted to help the comedian dance successfully.
The unadulterated joy at the end of the Chris McCausland & Dianne Buswell routine was something to behold.
If they get to the final and win they’ll break twitter ❤️#chrismccausland #diannebuswell #strictly #strictlyBlackpool #strictlycomedancing pic.twitter.com/gDx3SRzir5— Karl Cunliffe (@KDCunliffe) November 16, 2024
"Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell need all our votes tonight, if for nothing else other than when, whilst on the floor, Dianne gathered up her skirt so Chris couldn’t trip on it! It’s the little things," one person wrote while watching last week’s show.
Another said: "Just give Chris McCausland the glitterball trophy NOW. Not only is he inspirational he is incredible, keep voting for him Strictly family. Chris and Dianne for the WIN."
McCausland said it is important for viewers to see someone blind on Strictly, adding: "It’s good that people can see somebody like themselves, but our problem is not ourselves; our problem is everybody else’s low expectations of us."
Read more about Strictly:
Strictly’s Shirley Ballas ‘always insecure’ about her looks and outfits (Yahoo Life UK, 3-min read)
BBC Strictly Come Dancing's JB Gill shares family health battle 'since start of the series' (BirminghamLive, 2-min read)
What we know as Amy Dowden to miss Strictly after health scare (Yahoo Entertainment, 5-min read)