As a seasoned cinephile and avid panel show enthusiast, I find myself utterly captivated by Chris McCausland’s enchanting journey on Strictly Come Dancing. This stand-up comedian, a regular face on Would I Lie to You? and QI, has undeniably added a fresh, humorous twist to the BBC’s beloved dance competition. With his quick wit and clever one-liners, McCausland may soon become the bane of the BBC censors when the live shows start.
On television panel shows such as Would I Lie to You? and QI, comedian Chris McCausland is making a name for himself with his witty humor and clever one-liners. As Strictly Come Dancing moves into live performances, he might just become a challenge for the BBC censors due to his quick-witted comedy.
Moreover, being the initial visually-impaired dancer on Strictly Come Dancing, he’s additionally challenging norms on the dance floor alongside his professional partner, Dianne Buswell.
Chris, you’re the first blind contestant on Strictly Come Dancing. How’s the training?
Chris: Dianne should have a knack for detailed descriptions and let me know if something appears subpar. I’m clueless when it comes to visualizing dance moves. To be honest, I couldn’t describe what a tango, paso doble, or cha-cha-cha looks like in a visual sense.
Even if somebody says, “They’ve done a twirl,” or, “They’re moving to the side,” there’s a thousand things you can imagine in your head. Until I’m actually physically doing it, I won’t really understand what the dances are.
Previously, Dianne casually adjusted my leg to suit her needs. While training, I’m aware of Dianne’s movements surrounding me, yet during performances with an audience and music, I could no longer hear Dianne; instead, I had to estimate her location.
Dianne: Chris keeps telling me, “I don’t want it to be dumbed down,” which I love.
Chris: There’s no point me being here otherwise.
Dianne: Typically, I demonstrate techniques, such as footwork or arm positions. Chris will take my teaching methods to a new level. Instead of saying “a bowling ball action” or “paint a picture”, I might use creative expressions. As we progress, there will be concepts we’ll need to grasp together.
Chris: I’m not looking at my feet, am I?
Dianne: No, we’re good as is – we’ve already got an advantage! I’m a huge admirer of Chris, and I’ve seen so much of his work. He’s going to excel, he’s full of potential. But just to clarify, we still need to develop the dancer role…
Chris, you lost your eyesight at the age of 22. Do you have any prior dancing experience?
Chris: At the age of 11, I had only 10% vision, yet I was engaged in playing football and computer games, but there was no dancing involved. As a teenager, however, I was deep into rock and metal music, with mosh pits, crowd surfing, and headbanging being my thing. Dancing isn’t really my forte, so this whole situation is way out of my comfort zone.
Why did you sign up for Strictly?
Chris: I held off on the idea for some time, turning it down several times – in reference to last year’s series and the Christmas special. One factor was self-protection; I doubted my ability to pull it off because I couldn’t envision what was required of me. Moreover, since I don’t regularly watch it, I lack a personal connection to the format.
But I’d rather do something I had no knowledge of than make a show I knew everything about. I’m good at making comedy out of failure, but I’m going to take this seriously.
Dianne: What we’re wearing now is pretty funny…
How are you feeling about being Strictly-fied?
Chris: As I’m discovering the different aspects of the show, I suggested we use a ‘cheese scale’ to help guide me, such as saying, “This next part is really strong like Stilton blue cheese.” Feel free to imagine me in any outfit or color you prefer, but please don’t make me wear a leotard. That’s my limit!
Dianne: That’s fine. They probably wouldn’t want you in that anyway!
You’ve also had a spray tan. How was that?
Chris: I was hesitant since I’d never used one before. I’ve never been in a tanning bed, and I don’t sunbathe when I travel either. I tend to be self-conscious, but this time I decided to take the plunge and let go of my reservations. Most of my hesitation has subsided, so it’s hardly noticeable now. I guess you could say I’ve moved up a notch from being completely pale to slightly tanned. Next time, I want a tan that’s more obvious.
Are your friends and family excited to watch you on the show?
Chris: My longtime friend, with whom I’ve shared over three decades of friendship, is married to someone who is deeply enthusiastic about the show. She was aware that I had been given the opportunity before, but assumed it wasn’t a path I thought was suitable for me. When she discovered I was actually going to participate, she experienced a severe anxiety episode and temporarily stopped breathing.
She expressed that her confidence in me and desire to support me during this time is what’s driving her, but it turns out the free tickets are what she’s really after. Instead of saying “You can do this, Chris. You’ll be amazing. I have faith in you,” she said something like, “Hey, if you manage to go out, could you possibly score me some tickets?
A condensed version of this interview appears in the latest issue of TopMob.
Strictly Come Dancing continues at 7pm this Saturday on BBC One and iPlayer.
Have you heard? You can now request older editions of the TopMob magazine through our newly introduced back issues service!
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2024-09-21 16:34