Comedian Chris McCausland has officially been revealed as the first celebrity contestant for this year’s Strictly Come Dancing.
The 47-year-old – who is registered blind – regularly features on panel shows including Have I Got News For You, 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown, and QI.
He will be the first blind contestant to compete on the show, following in the footsteps of the show’s first deaf contestant Rose Ayling-Ellis, who won Strictly’s coveted glitterball trophy back in 2021.
Image: Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice lifted the Strictly glitterball in 2021. File pic: PA
Liverpool-born McCausland has hosted his own self-titled show on ITV1 on Saturday mornings, and also appeared as an actor in EastEnders, Not Going Out, and CBeebies show Me Too!
After working as a web developer, and later in sales, his failing vision inspired him to turn his career towards comedy, performing his first stand-up gig in 2003.
The actor and comedian lost his sight in his early 20s due to retinitis pigmentosa, a hereditary eye disease, which causes gradual degeneration of the retina.
‘The worst kept secret’
News of his Strictly stint was shared on ITV’s This Morning, with McCausland telling presenters Josie Gibson and Craig Doyle: “This is literally the worst kept secret there has ever been in British television.
“I think it’s been out there, it’s been exhausting keeping a secret everyone seems to know.”
Asked how he feels about taking part, McCausland said: “Apprehensive, massively apprehensive.
“I don’t know what I’m getting myself into, I’ve never watched it, obviously. It’s just some music.”
He continued: “I don’t dance, I have never danced. I grew up with headbanging and mosh pits.”
National disability charity Sense praised McCausland’s inclusion on the show, calling it a “pivotal moment” for disability representation.
Campaigns Officer for the charity, Steven Morris, who is himself deafblind, said that the lack of representation of disabled people in TV, films and literature when he was a child had left him feeling excluded.
Mr Morris added: “I’ll never forget when, during my university freshers’ week, someone said to me: ‘I’ve never met a disabled person before, I’ve no idea how to relate to you.’
“Perhaps if that person had seen us accurately portrayed on TV, in films or in books, they may not have been so frightened of the unknown.”
Unofficially, Olympic swimmer Tom Dean let slip he’d also be taking to the dance floor in the autumn.
The Team GB star took an Olympic gold medal at this year’s Paris Olympics as part of the men’s relay team. He won two gold medals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
In light of claims criticising the culture of the BBC show, which have come from a number of ex-contestants, the broadcaster has announced new methods to “strengthen welfare and support” on the show, including a chaperone who would be present during training room rehearsals “at all times”.
Training for the show is now underway, with Strictly usually hitting our screens every September, and crowning the winner in December.
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