Strictly Come Dancing favourite Chris McCausland has confirmed he will not participate in the show’s live tour, even if he wins the competition.
The 47-year-old comedian has revealed he must prioritise his own stand-up tour, Yonks, which is scheduled for January through to April next year.
The dates clash directly with the Strictly live tour, leaving BBC bosses with a significant headache as McCausland continues to dazzle audiences alongside his professional partner Dianne Buswell.
McCausland is currently the runaway favourite with bookmakers, trading at odds of 1/6 to win the competition.
Should he claim victory, he would become the first Strictly champion since Tom Chambers in 2008 to miss the live tour.
The only other winner to skip the tour was Bill Bailey in 2021, though this was due to the Covid pandemic forcing its cancellation.
Sarah Hadland is considered McCausland’s nearest challenger at odds of 9/2, with Tasha Ghouri at 10/1.
A spokesperson for McCausland told The Mirror: “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. So he couldn’t move them again, absolutely not.”
The spokesperson added: “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.”
They emphasised that McCausland had made his position clear from the beginning of his Strictly journey.
McCausland’s star continues to rise after scoring his first perfect 10s in Blackpool last weekend, achieving 37 points for his American Smooth with Buswell.
His potential absence from the tour has caused concern for organisers and BBC Studios, who fear it could impact ticket sales.
The live shows, which charge between £35 and £100 for tickets, traditionally feature the series winner as a main attraction.
Dianne Buswell’s parents have flown in from Australia to watch the pair perform their Paso Doble this weekend.
Last month, McCausland added 100 extra dates to his Yonks tour, which will now run from January 2025 to April 2026, with most original dates already sold out.
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Craig Revel-Horwood, launching the Strictly tour, had promised audiences would “be able to enjoy all of the glitz and glamour of the TV show and see their favourite celebrities and dancers up-close and personal.”
The tour will feature Motsi Mabuse joining the judging panel for the first time, with Janette Manrara returning as host.
