Strictly Come Dancing star Chris McCausland left viewers at home emotional and holding back their tears after his Foxtrot to Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy by The Tams with partner Diane Buswell.
Last week, the pair performed the Cha Cha to Twist and Shout by The Beatles and scored an impressive 23 out of a possible 40, leaving viewers at home stunned by his musicality.
Before entering the competition, McCausland admitted he was “terrified” of making a “fool” of himself – leaving his daughter to worry he was going to fall off the stage.
McCausland started losing his sight 20 years ago, between the ages of 16 and 21, due to retinitis pigmentosa which sees sufferers lose their sight as the light-sensing cells of the retina gradually deteriorate.
Writing about his anxiety about the show in The Telegraph, he noted: “I mean, how can I possibly have confidence in my ability to do something when I can’t see the entirely visual thing that I’m being asked to do?
“On top of that, stick it on live TV where failures are there for everybody to see and where the chance of a generous edit is absolute zero, and what could possibly go wrong?”
He added that his daughter Sophie, 10, feared he’d fall off the dance floor and said: “I showed my 10-year-old daughter a clip of the show and asked her if I should do it.
“No, Daddy’ she said. ‘You’ll fall off the stage and break your leg’. She’s a joker at heart, but she’s got a point.”
Tonight, McCausland left viewers emotional with his Foxtrot, as one X user commented: “How inspirational is Chris McCausland for pursuing this journey despite being blind! His determination is truly incredible. Let’s rally behind him, Strictly fans—this is going to be a wonderful experience!”
Another added: “Again, Chris McCausland & @dbuzz6589 on #StrictlyComeDancing – just jaw-dropping. I’m in awe of his dancing as a blind person, & her teaching him.”
“Just saw Chris and Dianne. Incredible stuff, he’s fantastic. Felt strangely emotional watching,” a third expressed before a fourth quipped: “Right then if Chris McCausland goes anywhere near the dance-off or goes out I am coming for you, the lot of you. Got that?”
A fifth noted: “Chris is such an inspiration and Dianne is an incredible teacher! Honestly, it keeps making me feel emotional when they dance!”
Someone else penned: “Diane is such a good teacher. You can see she loves it. Being a good dancer is one thing but being a good teacher like her is something different. She is brilliant. Chris could not wish for a better partner.” (sic)
Speaking about his performance after, he told Claudia Winkleman: “I am not happy, to be honest, they have put me on 10 minutes before the Liverpool game ends, and that is half of Liverpool watching the football so that’s half of my core voter group!
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“If we make it through to next week we will be smashing mirrors under a ladder probably.”
Craig Revel Horwood scored him a six, Motsi Mabuse awarded a seven, whilst Shirley Ballas and Anton du Beke gave him an eight, adding 29 to last weeks score.
