Comedian Chris McCausland has spoken about his struggles with marriage as a blind man, revealing that his perfectionism and fear of being seen as incompetent have affected his relationship. In an interview with Emma Barnett on her Ready to Talk podcast, the 48-year-old said he has always wanted to do things perfectly, which led him to give up on activities like football because he refused to play badly.
McCausland, who lost his sight gradually from childhood and was fully blind by his mid-20s, said he fiercely didn't want to be different. He admitted that his perfectionism has been a challenge in his marriage, as he often worried about appearing clumsy or incompetent. However, he described letting go of perfectionism as a 'game changer' that has improved both his personal and professional life.
He also discussed his initial reluctance to take part in Strictly Come Dancing, fearing it would be a 'disaster' that would send a negative message about disability. But after the show kept asking, he changed his mind and went on to win the Glitterball trophy, moving many viewers to tears.
McCausland emphasised the importance of normalising disability by making people forget about it, rather than constantly reminding them. He said that addressing the 'elephant in the room' with a joke at the start of his stand-up sets allowed him to move on and be judged on his comedy, not his blindness.
