Chris McCausland, the first blind contestant on Strictly Come Dancing, has had to rearrange his schedule due to his unexpected success on the show. The Liverpool comedian, who is partnered with Dianne Buswell, has captivated audiences with his remarkable performances.
The 47 year old is now tipped to win the glitterball trophy in Saturday's final. Speaking to the ECHO, Chris confessed he never anticipated his journey on Strictly would be so successful or that he would prove to be such a natural dancer.
He revealed: "When I came into it, I wanted to surprise people, surprise myself and do more than people would think is possible, but that was a pipedream."
"There was a chance that it could be a disaster. There was a very real possibility that I could have gone out in the first round. But it's worked and that's not just because of me. It's worked because Dianne has been willing to take risks and been willing to put the hours in."
He continued: "We haven't tried to pare it back or dumb it down. We've really tried to wow people and do impressive things. People have loved it and it's all worked so far, but it's surprised me as much as anyone else," reports the Liverpool Echo.
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Chris hadn't expected to make it to the final stages of the competition, having been scheduled to perform at a comedy gala at the Comedy Store in London last night. However, the venue confirmed that he was unable to appear due to his commitments preparing for the Strictly final. Posting on X, they shared: "Sadly there's no Chris for tonight's sold out charity show (too much dancing to practice!)"
In a nod to Steve Gribbin's 40 years of making people laugh, the event saw a lineup change with Scouse humour at its heart. Steve shared his support for absent friend Chris McCausland with a heartfelt message.
Steve expressed: "We shall miss @chrismccausland but we wish him every success in @bbcstrictly on Saturday! We have the fabulous Imran Yusuf who has stepped into the breach tonight! ! ! So looking forward to this whole evening! ! ! ".
Icons of comedy such as Harry Hill, Jack Dee, and Angela Barnes graced the stage for a stellar show, benefitting the Alzheimer's Society. Meanwhile, Chris, caught up in the whirl of Strictly Come Dancing, shared his regret for missing the event and congratulated Steve.
Amid preparations for the Strictly final, Chris echoed Steve's post: "Yes, I am really sorry about this. I never in a million years expected to be in the strictly final. What a brilliant evening of stand-up though! Congratulations Gribbo, what an achievement. 40 years and still as fresh and brilliant as ever! ".
Come Saturday, Chris is set to dazzle Strictly fans with three dances alongside Dianne, culminating in a tribute Waltz to 'You'll Never Walk Alone,' which promises to resonate with emotion once again.
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The comedian, a devoted Liverpool FC supporter, was moved to tears during the rehearsal for his final dance. He confessed: "We rehearsed the waltz and I realised this is going to be the last dance that we do and I imagined it all being over on Saturday and it being the last time that we dance on the show and it upset me."
Juggling Strictly with his packed agenda has been challenging for Chris, who will be unable to participate in the show's live tour due to his own touring commitments. The live tour typically features fan favourites from the current season, including finalists Ellie Leach, Bobby Brazier and Layton Williams from the 2024 tour.
However, Chris's stand-up tour, Yonks, means he won't be able to extend his Strictly experience with the live tour.
A spokesperson told our sister site, Mirror Online: "Chris has already shifted the dates of his tour to do 'Strictly' and that wasn't an easy thing to do. There were a lot of disappointed people and it was stressful - we got a lot of messages.They continued: "So he couldn't move them again, absolutely not. Everyone has been very straight about this all the way along the line.
It's a great shame, because he'd love to do the tour, but Chris is not available. ""He said at the point of signing up that he wouldn't be able to do it, that it wasn't going to be possible, it was always clear.
" The spokesperson concluded: "The lovely thing is no one could have foreseen just how well it was going to go for him on 'Strictly'. ""No one thought he'd get this far.
But having already moved his tour dates once to accommodate the show, he is unable to do it again. His own tour was pre-planned and came first.
There's no way it can be moved for a second time, that just wouldn't be fair on his fans."
The glitz and glamour of the Strictly Come Dancing Live tour will grace the MandS Bank Arena on January 28 and 29. Sarah Hadland, Shayne Ward, and Montell Douglas are the trio of stars confirmed to dazzle audiences once more on the dance floor.
Chris, riding the wave of his skyrocketing fame, has decided to prolong his stand-up comedy tour until 2026. Liverpool will play host to Chris's comedic talent on January 31 and February 1 at the Philharmonic Hall.
In response to overwhelming demand, he's also added an extra performance on February 1, with an earlier start at 3pm.
