A FORMER Hereford student will be the first blind contestant to compete in Strictly Come Dancing when the show returns this year.

Chris McCausland, an alum of the Royal National College for the Blind in Hereford, will be participating in the long-running BBC dance competition this year.

The 47-year-old comedian, originally from Liverpool, lost his eyesight in his early 20s as a result of retinitis pigmentosa, a hereditary condition. This diagnosis prompted a career change from his previous job in web development to become a comedian.

McCausland studied at the college and even returned in 2022 to mark its 105th anniversary with a show at the Courtyard in Hereford.

He is known to television audiences for his role as Rudi in the CBeebies show Me Too, and regularly appears at comedy venues around the UK, including the Comedy Store.

The 22nd series of Strictly will launch after weeks of accusations about the show's behind the scenes practices, particularly regarding the professional dancers Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima. 

Strictly staff have also spoken out about their treatment on the series. Their complaints detail a “toxic” work culture including cruelty, sexism and the BBC failing to take their complaints seriously. The BBC responded: “We do not recognise the claims relating to a negative workplace culture.”

Despite the allegations, this year's series has been confirmed to be going ahead with the first celebrities of the lineup, McCausland and JB Gill of JLS, announced today (August 5).