Comedian Chris McCausland has revealed that he initially turned down Strictly Come Dancing because he feared it would be a 'disaster' for blind people. Speaking to Emma Barnett on the Ready to Talk podcast, the 48-year-old said he worried that a poor performance would send out a negative message about disability.
McCausland, who lost his sight gradually and was fully blind by the age of 25, has always resisted being defined by his disability. He gave up football as a child because he refused to play badly, and when he began stand-up at 26, he was determined not to be known just for his blindness. He would address 'the elephant in the room' with an opening joke, then move on to regular material, believing that making people forget was more powerful than constant reminders.
The comedian admitted that he used to care too much about small mishaps on stage, such as a tangled microphone lead, fearing he would look clumsy or incompetent. But he described a 'turning point' when he realised that if he didn't care, the audience wouldn't either. He began handing the microphone to someone in the front row to untangle, and found that letting go of perfectionism was a 'game changer'.
On Strictly, McCausland said his initial fear was that it could be a 'disaster' for himself, blind people, and disability in general. However, the show's team kept asking, and his feelings changed. He went on to win the Glitterball trophy, moving many viewers to tears in the process.
