Chris McCausland Declines Strictly Tour Spot After Making History with Dianne Buswell

Chris McCausland, 47, made history on Saturday night as he became the first blind person to win the iconic BBC competition Strictly Come Dancing. Chris and his professional partner, Dianne Buswell, took home the glitterball trophy after triumphing over finalists Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola, Tasha Ghouri and Aljaz Skorjanec, and JB Gill and Lauren Oakley.

After their win, Chris shared an emotional message: “This is for [Dianne] and for everyone who was told they couldn’t do something. With opportunity, support, and determination anything can happen.” However, despite his victory, Chris delivered some disappointing news to his fans. While many of the Strictly stars, including Dianne, Amy Dowden, Sarah Hadland, and Vito Coppola, will reunite for the 2025 live tour, Chris confirmed he won’t be joining them.

On Monday, he took to X (formerly Twitter) to explain: “I’m afraid I will not be able to do the Strictly tour. My own tour was meant to be on the road in September and a lot of dates were moved to Jan and Feb to accommodate doing #Strictly. It’s unfortunate as it’s been so much fun, but my own dates can’t be moved for a second time”, reported by the Mirror.

Despite his decision, Chris received an outpouring of support from fans, many of whom had already bought tickets to his own tour. One fan, Kit, wrote: “Booked for one of your shows next year, can’t wait !!” Another fan, Louise, commented: “Totally understandable Chris – so good of you to be loyal to your fans!! So delighted for your win here in Dublin.”

Chris also shared the physical and emotional toll Strictly had taken on him, admitting that he felt worn down after months of intense training and competition. Speaking on Lorraine, he said: “You know what, it’s been a really emotional Saturday night, and I’m still kind of feeling quite worn down by it, three-and-a-half months, it’s relentless. It’s consuming, physically and mentally, it takes its toll.”

He continued, “This is what this show does, it wears you down physically and mentally, and then it pokes you with a stick until you cry in front of everybody.” He went on to describe how he would have to cut back on eating unhealthy foods now that the competition had ended: “I’ve eaten more chocolate this last three-and-a-half months now than I’d eat in 10 Christmases, and I’ve got to stop it.”

While Chris may be stepping back from the Strictly tour, his fans continue to support him, eagerly anticipating his upcoming solo performances.