Chris McCausland and his professional partner Dianne Buswell have been crowned the winners of Strictly Come Dancing’s 2024 series.
The comedian, best known for appearing on Have I Got News For You and his titular ITV programme The Chris McCausland Show, has made Strictly history as the first blind contestant to win – and take part in – the competition.
McCausland and Buswell competed against Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola, Tasha Ghouri and Aljaž Škorjanec, as well as JB Gill and his pro partner Lauren Oakley in a tense grand final, which aired tonight (14 December).
Stand-up comedian, 47, danced three routines during the live final: a couple’s Choice to “Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)” by John Lennon, a show dance to “You Get What You Give” by New Radicals and a Waltz to “You’ll Never Walk Alone” by Gerry and the Pacemakers.
Once his win was announced by hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, McCausland broke down in tears and hugged his partner, Buswell, who also grew emotional.
The comedian’s parents were not in the audience on Saturday night due to illness, which meant they stayed in Liverpool to watch the show at home.
McCausland lost his sight when he was 22 due to a hereditary condition called retinitis pigmentosa.
While appearing on Scared of the Dark, he spoke openly about his experience of going blind, saying that “when it started happening it was scary and embarrassing”.
He added: “I got myself into bad situations because I didn’t want to ask for help. I will never be on a level playing field with everyone else.”
McCausland, who is married and has a 11-year-old daughter, explained that he can “still see light and space” and has “an awareness of the space around me, not in terms of objects and things, but in terms of the room and whether there might be something in front of me.”
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In week one of the competition, the comedian admitted his Buswell had kicked him in the face during rehearsal, adding they were completely “winging it” as she taught him to dance even though he couldn’t see her.
Ahead of his Strictly appearance, he said he did not want to “bang viewers over the head” with his blindness, stating: “It’s great that there’s people coming through who are able to represent disability while also having the experience to do the job properly. There’s no point fast-tracking performers on to TV before they’re ready.
“My attitude has always been to represent by not banging you over the head. I think the best way to represent a disability is to make people forget about it whenever possible. It’s always part of you.
“But if you can do a show where, say, 80 per cent of it isn’t about being blind, that makes it more impactful and funnier when you do talk about it. I believe in representation within the mainstream.”
More to follow…
Catch up on everything that happened in the live final here.
