Strictly favourite hits out at ‘sympathy vote’

Strictly Come Dancing prima Chris McCausland has deed retired astatine the conception that helium could beryllium this year’s ‘sympathy vote’ – revealing however helium ‘didn’t privation it to beryllium a calamity due to the fact that I can’t see.’

The comedian, 47, has made Strictly past arsenic the show’s archetypal unsighted contestant, losing his eyesight aft being diagnosed with the hereditary information retinitis pigmentosa, aged 22.

Partnered with nonrecreational dancer Dianne Buswell, Chris has gone connected to go bookies’ favourite to instrumentality the glitterball trophy this year, impressing some viewers and the show’s sheet of judges.

On past weekend’s show, Chris and Dianne scored a whopping 30 points for their Salsa to Down Under, by Men astatine Work. It was confirmed connected Sunday’s occurrence that the paid had made it done to different week pursuing the nationalist vote.

Chris’s awesome tally of performances – and popularity with the assemblage – person made him a steadfast favourite to triumph this year’s Strictly, beating retired the contention to triumph the trophy.

However, Chris has revealed however helium plans to bash truthful connected his ain merit, revealing however helium didn’t privation to beryllium branded Strictly’s ‘sympathy vote.’

Speaking successful an exclusive interrogation with The Mirror, Chris said: ‘I mean, to beryllium honest, each clip we get through, I accidental to Dianne, “Oh, I got distant with that, didn’t I?”

He continued: ‘It’s surely gone amended than I thought it would, due to the fact that I had nary thought whether I’d beryllium capable to bash it astatine all, which is portion of my uncertainty of, and the fearfulness of, doing Strictly.’

Speaking connected the displacement from stand-up to dancer, Chris revealed the toll Strictly has taken, some mentally and physically.

‘I’ve deed a fewer walls on the mode and that’s to beryllium expected for a chap that sits connected a stool for a living. I accidental you could accidental that basal up is that happening of feeling the fearfulness and doing it anyway,’ helium told the tabloid.

He continued: ‘Stand up yet becomes a comfortableness zone, doesn’t it? And adjacent though radical deliberation it’s brave and each that, it conscionable becomes a regular Tuesday.

‘I said nary to this a fewer times due to the fact that I conscionable didn’t deliberation I’d beryllium capable to bash it. I thought it was 1 measurement excessively far.

‘I don’t privation to beryllium the sympathy vote. I don’t caput being a atrocious dancer. I don’t caput radical laughing astatine maine due to the fact that I’m a comical dancer oregon a atrocious dancer, but I didn’t privation it to beryllium a calamity due to the fact that I can’t see.’

Strictly experts foretell Chris McCausland to triumph this year’s show

Far from being a calamity connected the dancefloor, Chris has emerged arsenic a wide favourite to triumph the competition.

Bookies presently person Chris and Dianne arsenic favourite to instrumentality the glitterball trophy, with William Hill giving the brace likelihood of 4/9 to triumph – with exemplary Tasha Ghouri conscionable down astatine 4/1.

Last week, Shirley praised Chris’s ‘flawless’ lifts during their routine, saying: ‘You didn’t miss a trick, you got perfectly everyplace you needed to beryllium and stayed successful clip to the music. I americium telling you from my heart, that is perfectly impressive.’

After earning immoderate boos for highlighting the ‘plonky’ footwork, Anton described the regular arsenic ‘one of the astir singular things I’ve ever seen successful my full life.’

Meanwhile, Craig described the show arsenic ‘bonzer,’ portion Motsi said the creation was ‘a joyousness to watch.’

Chris and Dianne volition instrumentality to the dancefloor this weekend, with Chris acceptable to execute a Waltz to the Liverpool shot anthem You’ll Never Walk Alone.

Will the Chris McCausland effect onslaught again?

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