Strictly Come Dancing has returned for another season, and it has welcomed its first blind contestant. Standup comedian, Chris McCausland, has been paired with pro dancer Dianne Buswell, as he makes history as the show’s first blind contestant. McCausland lost his sight when he was 22 years old from a chronic hereditary eye condition called retinitis pigmentosa.
The condition causes the cells in the retina to slowly break down, leading to gradual vision loss. He lost his sight over time, which he describes as a “constant phase of frustration and denial”. He explains that it is difficult to say when exactly he became blind, because “you stop being able to do different things at different stages”.
He is known as a comedian from appearances on shows like 8 Out of 10 Cats, Have I Got News for You, and for hosting The Chris McCausland Show. He has also appeared on the Channel 4 series Scared of the Dark, which shows eight celebrities living without light. He openly spoke on the show about his experience of going blind, saying that “when it started happening it was scary and embarrassing”.
However, he now views his disability as something that is a part of him. He spoke about representation, saying that “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”. McCausland has previously admitted that he had “no burning desire” to take part in Strictly but has since signed up “to show just how capable and resilient blind people are”.
His participation showcases the abilities of visually impaired individuals and the importance of having disabilities represented. Disability advocate, Yahya Pandor, said that McCausland’s appearance on the show was proving barriers “don’t stop” blind people. Speaking to BBC Radio Gloucestershire, Pandor said that “it’s really showing what blind people can do and how limitations, obstacles and barriers don’t stop us”.
He believes that what McCausland is doing is “magnificent”, because blind people are “so underrepresented” in the media. The producers of Strictly are delighted to have McCausland on the show, as “he has a hilarious sense of humour”. They are also “really keen to showcase disability on TV and are conscious of how important it is”, adding that McCausland “is determined to show it won’t hold him back on the ballroom dance floor”.