BBC Strictly Come Dancing star opens up about 'painful' reality of losing sight
Chris McCausland is set to become the first ever blind contestant on Strictly Come Dancing, but before the show, he opened up about the 'painful' reality of losing his sight 20 years ago.
Comedian Chris McCausland has candidly shared the 'painful' journey of losing his sight two decades ago, as he gears up to make history on Strictly Come Dancing.
At 47, Chris is set to dazzle on the dance floor as the second celebrity confirmed for the show, hot on the heels of Tom Dean's announcement. Discussing his leap into the unknown, Chris admitted: "I've never watched it ever. I don't know what I'm getting myself into. Ask me when I get into week two and get the hang of it. I kept it a secret so good and it was in the papers, and now at least I can say."
As Strictly's inaugural blind contestant, Chris expressed his 'apprehensive' feelings about competing. Prior to his casting revelation, he had opened up about his battle with retinitis pigmentosa, which claimed his vision 20 years ago.
In 2023, he spoke out about the initial fear and shame he felt.
During an appearance on Channel 4's Scared of the Dark, Love Island's Chloe Burrows probed him about the onset of his blindness. Chris responded with raw honesty: "Yes it was painful. I haven't been able to see for 20 years. When it started happening it was scary and embarrassing", reports the Mirror.
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He reflected on the challenges he faced, saying, "I got myself into bad situations because I didn't want to ask for help. I will never be on a level playing field with everyone else. But with this show and giving everyone my condition it has been a joy to be part of it!"
His vision loss occurred progressively from the age of 16 to 21. Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a rare, degenerative eye condition that affects the retina, leading to progressive vision loss.
Before his rise to comedic fame, Chris nearly embarked on a career in espionage, revealing: "I applied to MI5, and got down to the final 30 out of 3,000 applicants. They were excited at first and said that this was new territory for them, but in the end, they turned me down purely because of my eyesight. Fair enough, I suppose."
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Chris's journey into comedy began in 2003 with his first stand-up performance in Balham, London. He quickly became a staple on the UK comedy scene, touring internationally and gracing the stage at the Edinburgh Festival six times.
His talent was recognised with the Creative Diversity Award for comedy in 2011. Chris has also been featured on BBC Radio 4's The Museum of Curiosity, returned to the airwaves for Room 101 with Paul Merton, and entertained audiences on TV shows like Would I Lie To You?, 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown, and QI.
