Chris McCausland, First Blind Contestant, Wins Strictly Come Dancing Final

Comedian Chris McCausland, Strictly Come Dancing’s inaugural blind contestant, has been declared this year’s champion. The 47-year-old surpassed JLS singer JB Gill, actress Sarah Hadland, and former Love Islander Tasha Ghouri to secure the glitterball trophy in Saturday’s live final on BBC One. McCausland, who was the bookmakers’ favourite to win, performed three dances with his partner Dianne Buswell. He stated his victory was for her, “and for everyone out there who’s got told they couldn’t do something or thought they couldn’t do it.” He further added, “It just shows with opportunity and support and determination, anything can happen.” As is customary, one of the dances in the grand finale was selected by the judges, another was the couple’s preferred dance from the series, and the third was a show dance. The judges provided advisory scores, but the public cast the decisive vote. McCausland and Buswell’s routines in the grand final included their waltz to You’ll Never Walk Alone by Gerry and the Pacemakers. The pair also reprised their couple’s choice routine to Instant Karma by John Lennon. When they first performed it last month, it achieved viral status on social media due to a “blackout moment,” designed to emulate McCausland’s experience with blindness. They recreated this moment in the grand final, impressing the judges and earning them a score of 38. “Chris, I am a mess because of you, and I said I would not cry in this final,” remarked judge Motsi Mabuse, as she wiped away tears. McCausland was registered blind after progressively losing his sight to retinitis pigmentosa during his 20s and 30s. The victorious duo faced formidable competition from the other remaining couples: JB Gill and Lauren Oakley, Tasha Ghouri and Aljaž Škorjanec, and Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola. Gill and Oakley were the first to perform. Their routines included a Show Dance to a Motown Medley and a Viennese Waltz to Let’s Go Fly A Kite from Mary Poppins. The latter received the evening’s initial perfect scores, with judges awarding straight 10s. This occurred after the singer’s original dance partner, Amy Dowden, was compelled to withdraw from the series last month due to a foot injury. Next, Ghouri and Škorjanec took the stage, reprising their American Smooth routine to Someone You Loved by Lewis Capaldi. They also presented a show dance to Sing, Sing, Sing by Benny Goodman. Ghouri is Strictly’s second deaf contestant, three years after Rose Ayling-Ellis won the competition. A poignant moment also unfolded when her brother surprised her, having just returned from Australia. “Can’t describe it,” he said, as they hugged. “Follow your dreams. You’re so special.” Finally, Hadland and Coppola performed routines including a Cha Cha to Like A Prayer by Madonna. They also executed an American Smooth, earning them 39 out of 40, despite Coppola experiencing a wardrobe malfunction. Gill and Ghouri topped the final leaderboard, each with 119 points, followed by Hadland with 118, and McCausland at 116. However, after weeks of tangos, salsas, and foxtrots, it was McCausland and Buswell’s night as they secured the highest public vote. A charity has lauded McCausland’s win, stating it will “lead to many more disabled people being included in the biggest TV shows.” Steven Morris, who is deafblind and the campaigns officer for the disability charity Sense, commented: “Chris’s historic Strictly Come Dancing win goes to show that given opportunities and support, disabled people can break down barriers many wrongly don’t think are possible.” He further added: “This is an important moment for representation.” Other highlights of the night included a spectacular dance number, where the Strictly professionals were joined by Worth It singer Raye. The entire 2024 line-up also returned for an additional routine. The show’s 20th anniversary year featured numerous twists and turns. Highlights included Bollywood music making its debut in the ballroom, when contestant Punam Krishan and her partner Gorka Márquez danced to Bole Chudiyan from the 2001 hit film Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. This marked the first time in the show’s history that a competing couple performed to a traditional Bollywood song. There was also a controversy when dancer Katya Jones appeared to move her partner Wynne Evans’s hand from her waist. She later dismissed as “nonsense” any suggestion that the moment caused her discomfort. This followed a challenging summer for the show, with several former celebrity contestants publicly discussing their negative experiences on Strictly. The BBC apologised to Amanda Abbington and upheld some of her complaints against her 2023 dance partner Giovanni Pernice, including allegations of verbal bullying and harassment, though he was cleared of the most serious claims. The corporation also implemented new duty of care measures, such as assigning chaperones to rehearsals. This year’s series commenced in September with 15 celebrities participating, including DIY SOS presenter Nick Knowles, Gladiator and Olympian Montell Douglas, and three-time Olympic champion Tom Dean. EastEnders actor Jamie Borthwick, 1980s popstar Toyah Willcox, and singer Shayne Ward also appeared on the program. Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke, Craig Revel Horwood, and Motsi Mabuse served as judges for the series. The 2023 contest was won by Coppola and Coronation Street actress Ellie Leach. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content of external sites. 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