Chris McCausland’s ‘Strictly’ Victory Inspires

Chris McCausland, a former student at Hereford’s Royal National College for the Blind (RNC) in the mid-1990s, has now, 30 years later, secured the glitterball trophy as the most recent winner of Strictly Come Dancing. This achievement follows a successful stand-up comedy career and is particularly significant as he is the competition’s first blind contestant. Lucy Proctor, the RNC’s executive principal, characterized his journey to the champion spot with dance partner Diane Buswell as extraordinary. She stated, “Chris [said that] with support and with opportunity and with determination, you can do anything,” adding, “And he’s proved that beyond any doubt whatsoever.” Throughout the series, McCausland, 47, received acclaim for challenging expectations regarding the capabilities of a blind individual on the dancefloor. A notable moment occurred during a routine performed partially in darkness, designed to convey his experience of blindness to viewers. Ms. Proctor expressed her hope that his success would serve as an inspiration to current RNC students. She observed that while these students often possess dreams and ambitions, they are not always afforded the same opportunities as sighted people. “We… work with them to get the barriers out of the way,” she commented. “But all the rest of it is down to them. It’s their determination, it’s their hard work.” Furthermore, Ms. Proctor aims for McCausland’s achievement to demonstrate to employers that visually-impaired individuals are just as capable as sighted people. She stated, “[People with sight loss] want other people to have that confidence in them, and give them that opportunity.” She continued, “They really do need other people to stop thinking about what they can’t do and start talking to them about what they can do.” Ms. Proctor also mentioned that she and the students would “absolutely love it” if one of their most renowned alumni returned for a visit. She noted, “So many of them were fans of his before Strictly, just through his work as a comedian.” However, she speculated, “But having said that, I’m not sure he’s going to have time to do much in the next couple of years. I suspect his diary’s going to be very, very full.” She concluded, “And rightly so.” For more, BBC Hereford & Worcester can be followed on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X, and Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content of external sites. Details on its approach to external linking are provided.