Strictly’s Chris McCausland admits being ‘terrified’ he’d ‘make a fool’ of himself on the show and says daughter Sophie, 10, worries he’ll ‘fall off’ the dance floor – after becoming first ever blind contestant
As I delve into this captivating narrative of Chris, a man who defies conventional norms and challenges societal perceptions, I find myself in awe of his indomitable spirit. Born with visual impairment, he doesn’t see black; instead, he sees resilience, courage, and the unwavering desire to prove that blindness is not an obstacle but a unique perspective.
Comedian Chris McCausland, who stars in “Strictly Come Dancing,” confessed that he was afraid of appearing foolish on the BBC program following his historic role as its first visually-impaired contestant.
47-year-old comedian first appeared on the program alongside professional partner Dianne Buswell last week, sparking predictions from fans that he might take home the trophy this year.
Chris confessed to feeling anxious about joining the weekly live TV show each Saturday evening, and was concerned about how his disability might impact his performance on-screen.
As a lifestyle expert, I’d rephrase that statement as follows: Twenty years ago, during my teenage years (16 to 21), I began experiencing vision loss due to a condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa. This condition, as per the National Health Service (NHS), progressively affects the light-sensitive cells in the retina, causing sufferers like myself to gradually lose their sight over time.
‘How can I trust myself to perform a task when I can’t observe the entire visual aspect of it that I’m being requested to handle?’
Instead of jokingly saying: ‘In addition, put it on live television, where blunders are visible to everyone and the probability of a lenient cut is nil, and pray tell, what might possibly go amiss?’.
Chris, who has a 10-year-old daughter named Sophie with his wife Patricia, mentioned that she was worried he might slip and fall on the dance floor.
I demonstrated a video from the show to my 10-year-old girl and inquired if I should participate. “No, Daddy,” she replied. “You’ll tumble off the stage and fracture your leg.” She has a playful side, but there might be some truth to her words.
2021 marked the initial instance of a sign language performance at the dance competition, preceded by Rose Ayling-Ellis, a deaf EastEnders actress, who danced her way to victory and won the glitterball trophy alongside partner Giovanni Pearce that same year.
As a dedicated follower speaking to TopMob about his plan to dance without sight, I admitted my confusion: “I’m at a loss! They asked for suggestions since I haven’t seen the show, understandably so given the circumstances. Unfortunately, I can’t rewatch it to grasp the details, such as the complexity of the dances.
We’ll learn by experiencing as we proceed since I prefer to participate and experiment to discover what’s effective and what isn’t.
As a lifestyle enthusiast, I’m fortunate to be surrounded by understanding individuals who have shown immense flexibility and support during this learning journey. Together with my partner, we’re brainstorming creative methods for knowledge transfer and self-improvement. It’s an exciting process!
As we journey through this process, let’s expect that we’ll encounter numerous errors. These mishaps, however, could turn into amusing moments, resulting in some humorous video clips. We might even decide to share these bloopers, as there will likely be many during our learning phase.
Although he was the first visually impaired individual to be featured on the program, he made it clear that he wasn’t intending to ‘motivate’ or ‘inspire’ others with his presence.
He explained: ‘For me it’s not inspiring. I don’t think blind people need inspiring as much as they need representing.
“This is mainly beneficial for those who may not have interacted with someone who is blind in their daily lives and hold outdated beliefs about it.” The goal here was to make the sentence more accessible and easier to read while preserving its original meaning.
In the past, I’ve taken a taxi, and somebody has exclaimed, “Wow, you managed those steps alone!” It seems people underestimate a blind person’s abilities, thinking they are incapable of accomplishing tasks.
‘It’s demonstrating that we’re capable of more than people think. However, if I’m not good at something, it doesn’t benefit anyone.’
Chris continued by saying, “I may encounter tasks I can’t handle perfectly or make mistakes, but it’s important to adapt, remain flexible, and find humor in the mishaps.
‘I might not be the only one messing up during our group dance, but unfortunately, I can’t spot the errors others are committing.’
During his time on Channel 4’s Scared of the Dark, Chris shared his experiences with visual impairment: “Although I can’t see, it’s not as if I see black.
As an utterly captivated admirer, I’m constantly perceiving illumination and expanse, maintaining a keen consciousness of the area encompassing me. It’s not about identifying objects or items, but rather discerning the room itself and potential obstacles that might be positioned in my path.
“It makes you realize that you’re depriving me of something. I find myself as enslaved to my iPhone as everyone else. On the surface, it seems like I should excel, but in one aspect, I need to adapt more realistically.
‘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.’
Over the past few months, the dancing competition has been embroiled in a series of scandals. Most notably, Giovanni Pernice is under investigation following allegations by his celebrity partner Amanda Abbington that he displayed abusive behavior. Additionally, Graziano Di Prima was dismissed due to claims he verbally and physically abused Zara McDermott during practice sessions.
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2024-09-23 04:04