Strictly’s Chris McCausland reveals he almost became a SPY after applying to MI5 ‘for a laugh’ when his eyesight deteriorated before embarking on comedy career
As I delve into Chris McCausland’s inspiring journey, I find myself moved by his resilience and unwavering spirit. Having lost his sight at a young age due to retinitis pigmentosa, he faced a challenge that many would find daunting. Yet, Chris didn’t let this deter him. He embraced life with an open heart and a sharp wit, turning his experiences into humor and laughter for all of us.
Chris McCausland, known for his role on Strictly Come Dancing, shared an interesting story about nearly embarking on a career as a spy because of a hereditary eye condition that caused him to lose his sight.
On Saturday, a 47-year-old comedian, who lives with the genetic condition retinitis pigmentosa that affects his vision, made his debut on the BBC show. Not only did he impress viewers with his dancing skills, but also with his sharp wit and hilarious humor.
It’s worth noting that although Chris is widely recognized as a stand-up comedian, his professional journey initially veered away from comedy, with him nearly joining the ranks of M15 instead.
Prior to embarking on a comedy career, Chris unexpectedly became a contender for an unusual position. This came about when, as his eyesight deteriorated significantly, he jokingly applied for a job in the secret service.
In a recent revisited interview, I, as a passionate enthusiast, shared my experience that I performed admirably during the selection procedure. Incredibly, I managed to reach the final group of thirty candidates. Unfortunately, my application was politely declined, owing to a visual impairment.
Initially, Chris worked as a web developer. As his vision worsened, he transitioned into sales. However, prior to securing that role, he took a daring step and submitted an application to become a spy.
He told Radio 4’s Saturday Live: ‘I started applying for crazy stuff, just for a laugh — so I applied to MI5. They need to recruit just like anyone else. They have a graduate scheme and they were looking for spies. So I put my application in.
It’s uncertain if it’s appropriate to mention this, but let me clarify that a spy doesn’t resemble the fictional character James Bond. Instead, a spy is typically someone responsible for managing informants, everyday people who possess valuable information.
It means you need to encounter them at prearranged spots and exchange details, which is exactly what they wanted.
After submitting the application, I found myself narrowed down to just 30 candidates from an initial pool of 3,000, before they realized their mistake.
Moving along in the process, he explained his journey: ‘I experienced various steps, starting with psychological exams and ending at an entire day evaluation. During this time, I was required to analyze vast amounts of data, pinpoint potential threats, and confer with the surveillance team. Overall, I performed quite satisfactorily.’
Nevertheless, the actor shared that he ultimately didn’t get the part because of his visual impairment; Chris expressed relief that he hadn’t been cast in the role instead.
Essentially, I wouldn’t have discovered quickly enough who possessed the bomb, had one existed.
“I prefer not to reside in a nation that would assign me such a position! At times, it seems to me that discrimination can be tolerated unjustifiably.
Having come close to securing a position at MI5 and honing my skills in sales, I found myself taking a bold leap into the world of comedy – embarking on a career as a stand-up comedian.
Following his debut in comedy at a new act comedy night in 2003, he quickly gained notice for his humor by winning the Jongleurs J2O Last Laugh competition. Later, he garnered recognition in various other competitions as well.
In a short span of time, his professional journey took off dramatically, leading to a seven-year tenure at the Edinburgh Fringe and a performance on Live At The Apollo in 2018. This was followed by multiple television appearances thereafter.
Approximately two decades back, Chris was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa between the ages of 16 and 21. This health issue, as explained by the NHS, results in a progressive loss of sight due to the gradual degeneration of the light-sensitive cells within the retina.
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.
According to information provided on the NHS website, individuals with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) experience loss of vision due to progressive degeneration of the light-detecting cells within the retina over time.
In a prior conversation, Chris shared that he hadn’t realized he was losing his sight because he had been visually impaired since birth.
He told inews.co.uk: ‘My grandmother had it, and my mum. Basically, I’d been going blind very slowly since I was born, and so didn’t even really notice it happening.’
He went on to compare the scenario to: ‘the frog in the pan of boiling water’.
Strictly’s inaugural live performance took place a week ago, and viewers have started proclaiming him as the winner due to his remarkable talents and clever quips.
Yet, Chris confessed that he was ‘frightened’ about appearing foolish on the BBC show, as he was its first visually impaired contestant.
Chris admitted to feeling anxious about joining the live television show every weekend, and was concerned about how his condition might influence his presentation.
In his article for The Telegraph, he expressed, ‘How can I trust myself to perform a task effectively if I can’t visually perceive what I’m expected to accomplish?’
Instead of sarcastically stating: ‘Additionally, place it on live television where mistakes are visible to everyone and where any generous editing is out of the question, so what could potentially happen?’.
As a loving father of our 10-year-old daughter, Sophie, I shared her concern that I might lose my balance and stumble on the dance floor. (Chris)
I played a video from the show for my 10-year-old girl and asked if I should participate. ‘No, Dad,’ she replied. ‘You’ll trip on stage and fracture your leg.’ She’s always joking around, but there might be some truth to her words.
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2024-09-24 03:34