Reigning Strictly Come Dancing winner Chris McCausland has said that a dance move "ripped him apart" in rehearsals. The comedian, 47, won the latest series of the BBC show with his dance partner Dianne Buswell last year. He made history as the first blind contestant to compete on Strictly, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in the same series. Chris - who wasn't on the show's live tour due to the dates clashing with his own gigs - opened up about his experience to Jonathan Ross recently. He's a guest on this weekend's episode of ITV's the Jonathan Ross Show alongside Brian Cox, Christina Hendricks, Oti Mabuse and Snow Patrol.
On the show, Chris reveals the physical toll of training for Strictly, saying: "You start like you're an athlete and you're not an athlete. It's eight hours a day, six days a week - it's relentless. The first few weeks you pick up injuries that relate to the dance you're doing. The jive - you feel like you've been on a mule for a week. The first time you do a bit of ballroom - your knees take it because you're not used to it. It's amazing more people don't get injured permanently on that show.".
Addressing his 'worst injury' during the process, he reveals: "Dianne tried to do this move with me that she'd seen on TikTok. I had to pull her vertical body up straight and it literally ripped me apart from my left a**e cheek to my right shoulder.". Despite the challenges, Chris went on to win Strictly in December. Recalling the moment he and Dianne were named the winners, he says: "It was emotional Jonathan, it was so emotional. Me and Dianne were meant to link arms at the end of that and walk off. As we linked arms, she crumpled and then I crumpled and the two of us were in bits. It was a lot, you know.".
Chris also shares that he's kept a memento from his time on Strictly. Talking alongside the other guests about taking mementos from set, Chris says: "I took my Strictly Come Dancing embroidered dressing gown and I haven’t had the face to wear it at home yet in case someone knocks at the door and I forget I've got it on.". Asked whether he would try Dancing on Ice, he says: "I said on Strictly that you're capable of more than people think but I didn't really mean it. Even I've got a line, I would literally be in a double cast within an hour. I do not ice skate.".
At the end of the talk show, Jonathan asks former Strictly pro Oti if she would like to perform some carnival moves to celebrate her new tour. Chris agrees that he will "have a go" and is then taught some batucada dance moves by Oti. The Jonathan Ross Show continues Saturday at 9.35pm on ITV, ITVX, STV and STV Player. Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.
