Chris McCausland breaks silence on 'discriminatory' Strictly Samba-thon

Fans took to X to knock the BBC for including the Samba-thon successful this year's Strictly. Comedian Chris received enactment from viewers who believed it was unfair to bring backmost the regular considering his disability.

Chris McCausland, 47, has spoken retired astir the ‘discriminatory’ Strictly Samba-thon that took spot connected Saturday night. The Samba-thon added a unsocial situation by requiring dancers to beryllium alert of their surroundings portion performing, making it peculiarly hard for Chris, who is Strictly’s archetypal ever unsighted contestant.

Chris and his creation partner, Diane Buswell, were the archetypal to beryllium eliminated, contempt earning 32 points successful their solo performance. Fans rapidly took to X (formerly known arsenic Twitter) to explicit concerns astir the fairness of the Samba-thon. One idiosyncratic wrote: "I'm atrocious but the sambathon was precise discriminatory against Chris, helium had nary cognition of wherever the others were and helium wasn't capable to bash fractional the moves the different couples were doing due to the fact that helium had to beryllium connected to Dianne, precise mediocre from Strictly."

Others criticized Strictly for bringing backmost the Samba-thon this year, knowing it would enactment Chris astatine a disadvantage. One instrumentality said: "I find it shocking they chose this twelvemonth to bring backmost the sambathon erstwhile Chris cannot spot immoderate of the different couples oregon beryllium spatially alert of them. Like of people he's gonna get voted disconnected first? Not successful bully sensation successful my opinion." Another added: "Had it been an yearly thing, that’s 1 thing… but they chose to bring it back! It was deliberated! Selected! Put successful place! With a BLIND and precise fashionable contestant! MAD!!!"

Despite the criticism, Chris remained positive, sharing his thoughts connected Instagram: "I was truly arrogant of our creation connected Saturday, and arsenic for the Sambathon…[zipped-mouth emoji] ….Well convey you truthful overmuch for each of your votes. You truly did assistance america past treble Latin! See you time spouse [Dianne Buswell], I'll beryllium bringing earplugs."

Chris and Diane are among the favourites to triumph the Glitterball Trophy, with the comedian—who mislaid his show betwixt the ages of 16 and 22 owed to retinitis pigmentosa—winning implicit fans and judges alike. His eyesight deteriorated during university, preventing him from pursuing a vocation successful web development, but his endowment for stand-up drama led to TV roles, including playing Rudi successful CBeebies' Me Too! and appearances connected Have I Got News For You.

"Being unsighted wasn't conscionable thing that happened to me, it was hereditary," the comedian told The Big Issue. "Nan was blind, my mum was losing her sight. It was ever treated arsenic conscionable portion of life, truthful you get connected with it and person a laugh."

The prima says inheriting a known information wrong his household "fed into my mode of viewing" his blindness and it's 1 which mightiness not beryllium expected. He explained: "When idiosyncratic has a disablement that comes retired the blue, it is precise casual and understandable for parents to beryllium protective and wrapper them successful fabric wool. There's a worry, there's a panic, there's a deficiency of experience.

"But having it successful the household meant adjacent with maine having mediocre show successful my childhood, I was treated nary different, sent retired playing successful the streets. All that forms your property erstwhile you're older."

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