A FORMER Hereford student wowed on Strictly Come Dancing on Saturday, with his former Hereford college praising his performance.

Comedian Chris McCausland, who attended the Royal National College for the Blind, took to the stage with his pro-dancer partner, Diane Buswell, to perform the Cha Cha Cha to the Beatle's Twist and Shout.

Their dance impressed the audience, receiving a standing ovation, but some were quick to offer pointers to the pair. Judge Craig Revel Horwood criticised McCausland for his shoulder placement and picking up his feet too much.

However three other judges, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke, and Shirley Ballas all praised McCausland for his performance.

Chris and Diane walked away with an impressive 23 points in total from the judges.

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Ballas said the dance was "fabulous", while Du Beke went all out, branding the performance "the most extraordinary thing I have seen in my whole life".

"It was brilliant," he said.

A spokesperson for his former college, the RNCB in Venns Lane, spoke of their delight at his hit performance, saying: “It was thrilling to see Chris make his debut on Strictly at the weekend. At RNC, we’ve long known that with the right training, blindness doesn’t have to be a barrier.

"Chris’s performance was a testament to that and it was wonderful to see the techniques Dianne is using to teach him. They’re clearly forming a fantastic partnership.

“The public’s reaction has been overwhelming. Chris was trending on Twitter on Saturday, and our Facebook page has been flooded with positive comments. They have a huge amount of support, which we hope will keep them in the competition and show off their progress.

“We hope Chris’s success will give a better understanding that people with visual impairments can achieve incredible things. With the right training, there are no limits.”

The 47-year-old comedian, originally from Liverpool, lost his eyesight in his early 20s as a result of retinitis pigmentosa, a hereditary condition. 

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