BBC Strictly Come Dancing's Chris McCausland was offered major change to show but refused

Chris McCausland, the 47 year old comedian and Strictly Come Dancing contestant, has shared his experiences on the show. As the first blind participant in the dance competition, Chris revealed that the producers proposed a unique idea to facilitate his performances.

However, he declined the offer, keeping the audience's experience at the forefront of his mind. Despite having very few adjustments made for his blindness, Chris was offered a significant change for the live shows.

The producers suggested that the audience remain silent during his dances, allowing him to hear his partner, Dianne Buswell, 35, more clearly. But Chris didn't take up the offer for one key reason.

POLL: Will you be shopping in the Black Friday sales this year?

He said: "I'm a comedian, part of the reason you're in it is to create a good atmosphere. I'm a needy."

Chris lost his sight between the ages of 16 and 22 due to retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic condition that impairs the retina's light response, resulting in gradual vision loss. However, he explained that the issue is hereditary in his family, so he grew up confident and independent while adapting to his sight loss, reports the Mirror.

"Being blind wasn't just something that happened to me, it was hereditary," he told The Big Issue. "Nan was blind, my mum was losing her sight. It was always treated as just part of life, so you get on with it and have a laugh."

The star revealed that having a known condition in his family "influenced his perspective" on his blindness. He explained: "When someone develops a disability unexpectedly, it's natural and understandable for parents to become protective and overly cautious. There's fear, panic, and a lack of experience."

"But having it in the family meant that even with my poor sight during my childhood, I was treated no differently, allowed to play outside. All of this shapes your personality as you grow older."

Despite Chris's confidence in dealing with his blindness, Strictly fans criticised the show last week for continuing with the Samba-thon, where couples must dance while being aware of their surroundings.

Chris and Dianne were the first to be eliminated, and viewers argued that Chris was at a significant disadvantage. "I'm sorry but the sambathon was very discriminatory against Chris, he had no perception of where the others were and he wasn't able to do half the moves the other couples were doing because he had to be connected to Dianne, very poor from Strictly," one person posted on Twitter.

"Had it been an annual thing, that's one thing... but they chose to bring it back! It was deliberated! Selected! Put in place! With a BLIND and very popular contestant! MAD! ! ! " another user vented. However, Chris addressed the contentious competition in his own post, suggesting he wasn't as upset about the dance as his fans.

He posted on Instagram: "I was really proud of our dance on Saturday, and as for the Sambathon...[zipped-mouth emoji] ....Well thank you so much for all of your votes. You really did help us survive double Latin! See you tomorrow partner [Dianne Buswell], I'll be bringing earplugs,".