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Privacy NoticeComedian Chris McCausland, who made his Strictly Come Dancing debut on Saturday night, revealed he was ‘nearly cancelled’ after his first performance. The funnyman was one of the 15 celebs to grace the iconic ballroom for the show’s 20th anniversary series, hosted by Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. In a first for Strictly, Chris, who is blind, was paired with pro dancer Dianne Buswell, who made it to the final last year with EastEnders ‘ Bobby Brazier. Discussing the new partnership, Claudia described it as dreamy, to which Chris quipped: “She is absolutely over the moon having me because she [Dianne] really wants November off. You’ve got a holiday booked, haven’t you?!”
Chris has been paired with Dianne for the new series of Strictly
When Claudia asked Dianne to give Chris a rundown of what to expect on Strictly, she responded: “Firstly, I am a big fan of yours. I’m so excited and honoured to be your partner. Secondly, I can’t answer that yet as I’m not sure myself how it’s going to work! But we are going to figure it out together.” Chris chimed in: “Yes, we’re going to figure it out together. We’re going to make mistakes and have a laugh about them. Then we’re going to turn up here and show you all of the mistakes that we’ve learnt!” Strictly Come Dancing’s live audience and fans at home were treated to a sneak peek of the celebs’ moves in a dazzling group number, setting the stage for their first live performance with their partners on the upcoming Saturday (September 21), reports the Manchester Evening News. Sign up to OK!’s daily newsletter to get updates sent to your inbox for free
Chris showed off his dancing skills in the first dance during the launch show
(Image: BBC)
However, it seems Chris’ minor mishap went largely unnoticed, which according to a fellow comedian, nearly led to his ‘cancellation’. The moment was highlighted when @KTASWAS tweeted: “Love the way he tickled Diane’s tummy as they finished the dance,” leading to Chris being informed through another tweet: “@chrismccausland it made the cut.” Chris then humorously responded on X, previously known as Twitter: “Lee Mack said I was 3 inches away from being cancelled.” This prompted @booberry73 to question: “Was there an unintentional boob graze at the end of the group dance!” Chris clarified the situation with: “No. There was an intentional belly tickle. No boobs were brushed, disturbed or jostled during said tickle.” Despite the potential for controversy, viewers seemed too charmed by his budding partnership with Dianne to notice. @see75 expressed excitement for the pair: “How brilliant did Chris do in the group dance? I think @dbuzz6589 will be a fantastic partner for him this year. Looking forward to seeing what they do together. #strictly #strictlycomedancing.”
Fans questioned whether Chris had a mishap during the first Strictly dance
(Image: No credit)
Fans on Twitter are already singing praises for Dianne. One fan, @Diannejoesuggw1, tweeted: “Watching Dianne talk through and support Chris through that group dance just shows she going to be the perfect partner for him! #strictly.” Meanwhile, @TellyStats chimed in with admiration for celebrity contestant Chris: “Chris is my favourite, in the group dance I was surprised at how good he was with no visual cues. Every time he appeared on screen, it was him I wanted to watch. Also thought he was one of, if not the funniest and most genuine of the lot tonight. #Strictly.”
Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnClaudia WinklemanTess DalyEastEndersStrictly Come DancingChris McCausland
