Strictly’s first blind comedian Chris McCausland says he ‘hopes to make people laugh’ as he admits he has ‘no idea’ how his journey will go
As a seasoned observer of the world of entertainment, I find Chris McCausland‘s journey onto Strictly Come Dancing truly inspiring. His resilience and determination to conquer new challenges despite his visual impairment is nothing short of extraordinary.
When it was announced that stand-up comedian Chris McCausland would be Strictly Come Dancing’s first visually impaired participant, the same curiosity arose among all: How does one dance without sight?
It is a question the 47-year-old has asked himself, and he admits he still has ‘no idea’.
Born in Liverpool, the comedian suffered blindness in his twenties as a result of a genetic disorder known as retinitis pigmentosa. Prior to this, he had never seen Strictly Come Dancing.
He said: ‘I’ve never seen the show for obvious reasons. I can’t even go back and watch it to see what it involves, how intricate the dances are.
As an utterly captivated devotee, I’m constantly immersed in the process of unraveling mysteries on-the-fly. I crave this journey, this hands-on experience, because it grants me the precious insights into successes and failures alike.
Chris considers the training process as a ‘journey of learning’ for himself and his dance partner, and aims to bring laughter to the audience when they step onto the Strictly ballroom on September 14.
He mentioned that he’ll find it enjoyable, as there seems to be little purpose for him to stay unless he can enjoy himself, share some laughter, and poke fun at himself a bit.
In some instances, I may struggle or make errors, but don’t worry! It’s essential to adapt and find humor in our missteps since we can all stumble sometimes.
During our group dance, it’s challenging for me to spot errors made by others because I’m mainly focusing on my own mistakes.
Chris said he was hoping to change people’s perceptions of what blind people can do.
In my view, what truly matters isn’t inspiration but visibility and representation. Blind individuals shouldn’t be seen as needing inspiration; instead, they deserve to see themselves reflected in the world around them.
‘I’ve got in a taxi before and someone’s said, “oh wow, you did the stairs on your own.”
‘People think you can’t do anything if you’re blind.’
So, it’s primarily intended for those viewers who may not have encountered a visually impaired person before and hold outdated views on the subject.
He added: ‘The only problem with that is if I’m sh** it doesn’t help anybody.’
In conversation with TopMob regarding his plan to dance without sight, he admitted: “I’m at a loss! They inquired about potential solutions since I’ve never watched their show due to obvious circumstances.
‘I can’t even go back and watch it to see what it involves, how intricate the dances are.
We’ll have to find the solution step by step since I prefer experiencing and experimenting to discover what strategies are effective and which aren’t.
Chris added: “Everyone has shown great flexibility and support. My partner and I are exploring methods for them to tutor me and for me to grasp the concepts.
‘We’re on a steep learning journey, and I’m hopeful that the blunders we’ll encounter during this process will provide us with ample opportunities for laughter. This way, we can create some entertaining videos highlighting our errors, since there will likely be many of them as we progress.’
As a participant on Channel 4’s Scared of the Dark, I, Chris, shared my unique perspective on my visual impairment: ‘Although I can’t see in the traditional sense, it’s not as if I see nothing at all.’
Even though I can’t physically perceive objects, I’m still conscious of my surroundings. It’s more about sensing the space – like feeling the room’s presence and being aware if there could potentially be something directly ahead of me.
‘It makes me feel like I’m losing something important when it’s taken away from me, and I can’t deny that I’m addicted to my iPhone, just like everyone else. On the surface, I might think I should be able to handle this situation, but in reality, I need to make some practical adjustments to cope better.’
It’s intriguing to observe how swiftly others will reach that stage. For a change, I’m eagerly anticipating being the healthiest among us for a while. Such an opportunity doesn’t come along frequently.
2024’s premiere episode of “Strictly Come Dancing” is set to broadcast on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, starting at 7:20 PM on Saturday, September 14th.
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2024-09-09 02:21