Strictly Come Dancing featured a very special moment during tonight’s (November 9) live show, as Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell performed their Couple’s Choice routine, which included several seconds of total darkness.
Comedian Chris introduced the couple’s dance by speaking candidly about his experience with sight loss, explaining that his eyesight had “deteriorated very, very, very steadily” until his early 20’s.
“I realised for me to not do this (take part in Strictly) is quite selfish,” he said. “It’s not that people with disabilities need inspiring, that they need to see themselves on the telly, but I think everybody else does.
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“There’s a lot of people out there that don’t have any exposure to somebody who’s blind or somebody with a disability. I think it’s important to show people that more is possible than you would think.
“People out there with a disability are way more resilient and way more creative with their problem solving, in ways that other people just don’t have to be.”
Chris and Dianne went on to perform a musical-style routine to John Lennon’s ‘Instant Karma (We All Shine On)’, which featured a moment in which the couple covered their eyes before the studio lights all turned off, creating a moment of blackness.
As the lights returned, Chris was revealed to be spinning while holding Dianne above his head, to huge cheers from the audience.
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“That routine belongs in a musical,” judge Craig Revel Horwood said of the dance. “The lift coming out of that poignant blackout moment was absolutely spectacular.”
Motsi Mabuse praised Chris for “inspiring us all on the dancefloor”, while an emotional Shirley Ballas called the pair “the most unique partnership”.
Anton Du Beke joked that he would have loved to give the routine a 15, adding that “I can’t even give you 10 because you went a bit wrong.”
The pair went on to score 33 points from the judges, after Dianne praised her partner for his hard work.
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Viewers were also moved by Chris and Dianne’s routine, with one writing on X: “Once again Chris & Diane knocked it out the park, just so amazing, that spin after the blackout was fabulous. Got to be the winners for 2024”.
Another fan commented, “Chris McCausland’s journey on Strictly is all about stepping out of comfort zones and proving limits don’t define us. His message today was a reminder that challenges are just chances to grow. Truly inspiring!”
One viewer praised the “trust” between Chris and Dianne, saying: “loved this couples choice from this partnership and can we just talk about the blackout moment in the middle it made me emotional”.
“wow chris & diane’s dance. When the lights went off thats how chris is dancing,” another viewer wrote. “Literally trusting his partner and having to remember every step and move. How many of us could do that? And live each week?”.
Strictly Come Dancing airs on Saturdays on BBC One, while spin-off Strictly: It Takes Two airs on weeknights on BBC Two. Both shows are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
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Reporter & Sub-Editor, Digital Spy Susannah is a freelance writer and sub-editor, specialising in the entertainment industry. She graduated in 2014, with a BA in English and American Literature and Creative Writing, and an MA in Creative Producing. She’s been writing for Digital Spy ever since, after first getting involved through work experience, and has written hundreds of stories for the site on a range of topics, from The Sims to Doctor Who. Susannah has also written for Reveal Magazine. Her special interests are soaps (her Mastermind subject would be 2000s Coronation Street), Marvel and Star Wars. She can also quote far too many lines from Friends and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.