Strictly Come Dancing is set to kick off for a new series in September, and the first contestant has already been announced as Chris McCausland.
His participation was revealed on Monday’s This Morning and Chris will be Strictly’s first ever blind contestant.
Speaking to hosts Josie Gibson and Craig Doyle, Chris shared: ‘If anybody out there is thinking – How the hell is he going to do that? – then rest assured that I am thinking exactly the same thing.
‘I don’t dance, I haven’t danced, I can’t dance, I can’t see the dancing I will have to do. What can possibly go wrong? Ok don’t answer that…!’
But who is Strictly’s Chris? Read on for everything you need to know about the TV star…
Strictly Come Dancing is set to kick off for a new series in September, and the first contestant has already been announced as Chris McCausland
But who is Strictly’s Chris? Read on for everything you need to know about the TV star…
What TV shows has Chris been in?
Chris has been a comedian for over two decades and is a regular face on flagship comedy shows like Have I Got News for You, Would I Lie to You?, QI, The Last Leg, and 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown.
The TV star has also appeared on Celebrity Gogglebox alongside his pal and fellow comedian Donna Preston, as well as an episode of EastEnders.
While just last year, he was a contestant on Channel 4’s Scared of the Dark.
Chris has been a comedian for over two decades and is a regular face on flagship comedy shows like Have I Got News for You, Would I Lie to You?, QI, The Last Leg, and 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown
For younger viewers, Chris is also known for his role as Rudy in CBeebies series Me Too!
He also has his very own morning chat show The Chris McCausland Show, which debuted on ITV in June
For younger viewers, Chris is also known for his role as Rudy in CBeebies series Me Too!
Born in West Derby Village, Liverpool, Chris started out as a web developer before moving onto sales as his eyesight deteriorated, during which time he started his career in stand-up.
After trying his hand in comedy during a new act comedy night in 2003, he was soon recognised for his humour after winning the Jongleurs J2O Last Laugh competition, before gaining recognition in other competitions.
His career soon skyrocketed, going to to have a seven-year stint at the Edinburgh Fringe and an appearance on Live At The Apollo in 2018, before continuing on to make several TV appearances.
What condition does Chris suffer with?
Chris started losing his sight 20 years ago, between the ages of 16 and 21, due to retinitis pigmentosa
Chris previously opened up about his blindness while appearing on Channel 4 series Scared of the Dark
Chris started losing his sight 20 years ago, between the ages of 16 and 21, due to retinitis pigmentosa, a condition which according to the NHS, sees sufferers lose their sight as the light-sensing cells of the retina gradually deteriorate.
Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a group of rare, genetic disorders that involve a breakdown and loss of cells in the retina – the light sensitive tissue that lines the back of the eye.
The NHS website explains that people with RP lose their vision as light-sensing cells of the retina gradually deteriorate.
It is generally characterised by a black pigmented appearance of the retina when a specialist looks inside the eyes.
Speaking about his visual impairment previously while taking part in Channel 4 series Scared of the Dark, Chris explained: ‘I’m blind but I don’t see black.
‘I still see light and space, I still have 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.
‘It just gives you that awareness that you’re taking that away from me. I’m a slave to my iPhone like everybody else. So on paper you go, ‘Well, I should nail this,’ but in one area I should be more practically adjusted.
‘It’ll be quite interesting to see how quickly everybody else gets to that point. I’m quite looking forward to being the most able bodied person for a while. It doesn’t happen often.’
Does Chris have any children? Is he married?
Chris shares a ten-year-old daughter Sophie with wife Patricia. The family live in Surbiton
Chris shares a ten-year-old daughter Sophie with wife Patricia. The family live in Surbiton.
Chris prefers to keep his private life under wraps and does not share images of his family on social media.
Despite this, Chris recently confessed that having children ‘terrified him’ as he worried he wouldn’t be able to do things properly and would be a ‘half dad’.
Speaking in an interview with Gyles Brandreth, Chris explained: ‘I was in such a dilemma about it because I knew I would regret not having kids, but the thought of having kids terrified me.
‘I want to be good at things, I want to do things I’m good at, which is why I didn’t end up being a website designer. I would have done it, but I wouldn’t have been as good as I could have been if I could see what I was doing.
And that idea of doing something to a lower standard because of my eyesight ultimately stops me from doing a lot of things that I’ve enjoyed. Even football, blind people play football. If I can’t play football properly I didn’t want to play football.’
His participation was revealed on Monday’s This Morning and Chris will be Strictly’s first ever blind contestant
The comedian said of his next venture: ‘If anybody out there is thinking – How the hell is he going to do that? – then rest assured that I am thinking exactly the same thing’
The star continued: ‘The idea of being a parent and all of the things I was going to be unable to do properly. My dad, all the things he used to do with me as a kid, taking me to different places, and the time he put in helping me build things.
‘You go “how am I going to be able to do those things – I’m not going to be a proper dad, I’m going to be a half dad”. That kind of really caused me a lot of torment in my head.
‘Weirdly, I think I wanted a girl because of that, because I figured if we got a girl I could be a loving dad, but some of the practical obligations that fall on dads they’d fall more on Patricia because she’d be a girl.
‘There wouldn’t be blokes’ things that I would then not be able to take my son to. But being a dad has been amazing.’