1 week Ago By [email protected] (Jessica Sansome, Isabelle Bates)
Chris McCausland has shared that he'll feel an emotional pull when his time on Strictly Come Dancing concludes, citing it as the "most rewarding thing" he's ever participated in. Furthermore, he disclosed how much he cherishes messages from his daughter every weekend. During last weekend's show, the comedian and his professional partner Dianne Buswell charged through the semi-final of the BBC One dance competition.
Both were among the couples who delivered two performances, all competing for a place in the final week of Strictly's 2024 series. After a successful evening on the dance floor, Chris and Dianne secured their spot in the finals alongside fellow participants Tasha Ghouri with Aljaz Skorjanec, Sarah Hadland coupled with Vito Coppola, and JB Gill with Lauren Oakley. The grand finale is scheduled for this upcoming Saturday (December 14).
POLL: Will you be visiting the German Market this year? At 47-years-old, Chris confessed that both he and his 11-year-old daughter initially felt sheer terror at the prospect of competing. However, she now passionately supports him, full of encouragement for her dad to take home the trophy. Ahead of the decisive final, he reflected: "The fear was immense.
I said no to this a few times because it was terrifying." In addition to acknowledging the intensity of his anxiety initially, he also emphasised his enthusiasm for challenges, new experiences, and stepping out of his comfort zone. Yet he underlined the importance of ensuring he could excel and be a positive representative of himself and others, something he initially questioned.
The stand-up comedian, who is the first blind contestant on Strictly, admitted that most weeks have been "terrifying", but he has discovered a resilience and determination within himself that he didn't know existed. "It's been exhausting, and it's been the scariest thing I've ever done, but I think it's certainly been the most rewarding thing I've ever done," he said. He believes this experience will have a lasting impact on his outlook on life and the opportunities available to him.
Chris, who lost his sight completely at the age of 22 due to retinitis pigmentosa, a hereditary eye disease causing gradual degeneration of the retina, shared that his daughter was initially "nervous" for him in case he fell over and "embarrassed" himself. However, as the show progressed, his 11-year-old expressed how proud she was of him and is now rooting for him to win the trophy. He recalled: "She'd say every Saturday, 'It doesn't matter, Daddy, if you go out because I think you've already won'.
And then it was when we got to the semi-finals she said 'Daddy, do you know when I said it doesn't matter? I've changed my mind. I think you can win this thing'." Chris and Dianne are set to perform three dances in the grand finale of Strictly Come Dancing, including a new show dance to You Get What You Give by New Radicals, as well as their emotional waltz to You'll Never Walk Alone by Gerry and the Pacemakers.
They will also reprise their couple's choice routine to Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) by John Lennon, which gained popularity after they performed it in complete darkness. However, both admitted to becoming emotional during their final week of rehearsals, realising their journey on the show was nearing its end. "Our last dance is going to be our waltz to You'll Never Walk Alone.
It's an emotional song anyway and I just had this little thought of us ending the dance and that being the end of everything we've done, and it just gets me emotional," Chris confessed..
