Strictly star Chris McCausland almost had a very different career before comedy-Ruth Lawes-Entertainment – Metro

Chris McCausland very nearly became a real-life James Bond (Picture: Brian J Ritchie/Hotsauce/Shutterstock)

While he has now become a household name in the UK thanks to Strictly Come Dancing 2024, Chris McCausland was often on our screens.

Chris, 47, the BBC show’s first-ever blind contestant, decided to pursue stand-up comedy after a spell as a web developer and in sales.

Within a year of performing, he’d been tipped as a rising star, including placing third in Channel 4’s So You Think You’re Funny? competition.

Chris’ first major on-screen role was Rudi the market trader in the 00s TV classic Me Too!, which followed the parents of six children in their day-to-day lives in the fictional city of Riverseafingal in Scotland.

He went on to act in 2014’s Jimmy McGovern drama series Moving On, alongside Anna Crilly and Neil Fitzmaurice before multiple panel show appearances.

Chris’ TV credits include all the classics: Would I Lie To You?, Have I Got News For You, 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and Richard Osman’s House of Games, among others.

He applied for a job at MI5 but lost out on the role of a spy due to his eyesight (Picture: BBC)

However, he almost didn’t become a comedian and TV star after he made it to the last 30 out of 3,000 applicants to become a spy for the MI5.

Chris, who lost his sight fully at age 22 due to a hereditary condition called retinitis pigmentosa, said he did not make the final cut due to his eyesight.

In 2023, he told The Guardian: ‘Yes, I got down to the last 30 out of 3,000 for MI5 selection. Eventually, I got refused because of my eyesight. Fair play. It’s perfectly acceptable to discriminate for the safety of the nation.

‘The job was identifying and targeting terrorist threats, which obviously you need to do in a limited amount of time. They were like: “Honestly, we just think it’s going to take you too long.” I was like: “OK, that’s reasonable. I don’t want that burden around my neck.”‘

Chris went on to forge a successful career in TV before signing up for Strictly(Picture: BBC/Guy Levy)

As well as dramas and panel shows, Chris was also a contestant on the short-lived Channel 4 reality series, Scared of the Dark, which was presented by Danny Dyer.

And in 2023, he presented his own four-part travelogue series Wonders of the World I Can’t See for Channel 4.

Chris is already emerging as an early favourite to win Strictly Come Dancing, with his witty asides.

In response to judge Craig Revel Horwood’s criticism of his first live routine, he retorted: ‘I’m too knackered to care, mate! I’ll drive you home tonight.’

Chris has featured in numerous TV shows including Beat The Chasers (Picture: ITV/Shutterstock)

He’s also winning Strictly social media, thanks to his hilarious TikTok updates with Dianne.

Outside of showbiz, Chris is married to wife Patricia, who he met at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival while she was working in TV.

Chris proposed to Patricia, who is originally from Brazil, in 2012 during a Pearl Jam concert at Hyde Park.

The couple share daughter, Sophie.

Strictly Come Dancing continues on Saturday at 6.15pm on BBC One and iPlayer.

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