Chris McCausland ‘will make Strictly history by winning’ after 12-year trend-Josie Copson-Entertainment – Metro

Chis McCausland is bookies’ favourite to win Strictly Come Dancing (Picture: Guy Levy/BBC/PA Wire)

Chris McCausland could break a 12-year trend and make history if he wins Strictly Come Dancing this weekend.

Over the last decade, there has been an unusual link between Strictly and I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! Although they are filmed thousands of miles away, in London and Australia, and their concepts couldn’t be more different they’ve kept connected, but this could soon unravel.

Since the early 2010s, every time a man has won ITV’s I’m A Celebrity, a woman has won BBC’s Strictly and vice versa.

The run of opposite sexes winning all started when Louis Smith lifted the Glitterball trophy and Charlie Brooks had the jungle crown placed on her head in 2012.

It has then gone on for a further 11 consecutive years, most recently with Ellie Leach on Strictly, and Sam Thompson becoming King of the Jungle in 2023.

Danny Jones, 38, was announced as the winner of the jungle over the weekend, which would usually mean a woman lifting the glitterball trophy.

Danny Jones was crowned King of the Jungle on Sunday (Picture: James Gourley/ITV/Shutterstock)

However, the frontrunner to hold the longed-for item high above their head is Chris, 47. His win is looking highly likely as he is the shortest price any contestant has been going into the final.

‘The comedian has topped the betting from very early in the series and it would be a huge surprise if he did not lift the Glitterball Trophy,’ Coral’s PR manager John Hill has recently said.

The current odds are 1-10 to Chris, while fellow finalist JB Gill is 14-1, Sarah Hadland is 16-1, and Tasha Ghouri is least likely at 25-1. Although, Strictly fans know that anything can happen on Saturday night and they all can be very proud of themselves for making it to this pivotal point.

Chris has done more than even he’d hoped on Strictly (Picture: BBC/Ray Burmiston)

With his partner Dianne Buswell, 35, Chris has won around audiences with his intricate routines and fun personality. His solo steps in a Waltz to You’ll Never Walk Alone and a poignant blackout moment in a Couple’s Choice dance to Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) have already entered the Strictly history books.

Chris is the first blind contestant to take part in the show and has recently spoke about what that has meant to him.

‘I wanted to be able to represent not just people who are blind but people with a disability in a positive way that was “look what is possible” rather than what is not, and we’ve done that more than I had hoped we could have,’ he told Metro.

The other finalists have scored higher more consistently (Picture: BBC/Guy Levy)

Chris has already entered the history books thanks to some awe-inspiring routines (Picture: Guy Levy/BBC/PA Wire)

Although the response to the special partnership has been overwhelmingly positive, there are a few people who have questioned whether he deserves to have made it to the later stage of the competition. Chris, who started the show with no dance experience, hasn’t scored as highly as the other remaining contenders in previous weeks.

In response, Chris said: ‘For me with this there are two types of negativity. There are people who believe this is purely a dance competition and get angry when anybody survives a week above somebody, they think is better.

‘I think Pete [Wicks] has suffered a bit of that and so have I but if it was purely a dance competition give it to Tasha at the beginning – she’s phenomenal.

‘There’s that and then others can be quite vulgar in their comments about disability and use words that went out of fashion in the 80s. It doesn’t bother me. I really don’t give a s***. It’s people who are angry because someone is better than they are, so I don’t give a f***.’

Only four pairs remain in the contest (Picture: Guy Levy/BBC/PA Wire)

Each pair will perform three times (Picture: Guy Levy/BBC/PA Wire)

Chris and Dianne, along with JB and Lauren Oakley, Sarah and Vito Coppola, and Tasha and Aljaz Škorjanec will all take to the floor for the final time on Saturday night.

They will each be tasked with performing not one, not two, but three dances; their favourite dance of the series, the judge’s pick and a show dance.

The special 20th anniversary series coming to an end, also means the end of Aljaz’s return to the show. The 34-year-old has recently revealed what will determine if he stays any longer.

The Strictly Come Dancing final airs live on BBC One on Saturday, December 14, at 6pm.

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