Christopher John McCausland(born 15 June 1977) is an English actor and comedian. He is known to television audiences for his role as Rudi in theCBeebiesshowMe Too!.He regularly appears at comedy venues around the UK, includingThe Comedy Store.McCausland isblinddue toretinitis pigmentosa.
| Chris McCausland | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Christopher John McCausland |
| Born | 15 June 1977 Liverpool,England |
| Medium |
|
| Education | Kingston University(BSc) |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Children | 1 |
In December 2024, McCausland won thetwenty-second seriesof BBC'sStrictly Come Dancing,partnered with professional dancerDianne Buswell.
Early life
editChristopher John McCausland[1]was born on 15 June 1977[2][3]inWest Derby VillageinLiverpool[4]and has lived inSurbiton,nearKingston upon Thames,since 1996, after moving there to study atKingston University.He graduated in 2000, with a BSc Honours inSoftware Engineering.After a spell as aweb developer,deteriorating eyesight prompted a change of direction and he worked in sales for a number of years, during which time he first performedstand-up comedyin 2003.[5]
Stand-up comedy
editMcCausland first tried stand-up at a new act comedy night in a room above a pub inBalhamin July 2003.[6]Within his first year of performing, he won theJongleurs J2O Last Laughcompetition, came runner up in theLaughing Horse New Act of The Yearand came third inChannel 4'sSo You Think You're Funny?competition.
Between 2005 and 2012, he took six stand-up shows to the Edinburgh Festival and in 2011 was awarded the Creative Diversity Award for comedy by a Channel 4-led panel of broadcasters which also included BBC, ITV and Sky. He has performed all over the world, including acrossAsiaand theMiddle East,and regularly travels the UK playing the country's top comedy clubs. He appeared on the BBC'sLive at the Apolloon 4 January 2018 and hosted the show on 7 January 2022.[7]
Television
editIn 2014, McCausland fronted a national television advert forBarclays,promoting the benefits of their new talking cash machines. Also in 2014, he starred in theJimmy McGoverndrama seriesMoving On,alongsideAnna CrillyandNeil Fitzmaurice.In 2012, he appeared alongside fellow comedians inJimmy Carr's Comedians Special charity episode ofCelebrityDeal or No Deal.[citation needed]
He appeared in three series ofAt The Comedy Storein 2008 forParamount Comedyas well as in 2010 and 2012 forComedy Central.In 2010, he featured inBBC One's end of year spoof news review,Unwrapped withMiranda Hart.In 2011, he appeared in ITV's seriesStand-up Hero.
McCausland was also one of the principal characters in theCBeebiesseriesMe Too!,playing Rudi the market trader. Filmed in 2006, it aired onCBeebiesand internationally until April 2016. On 20 August 2018, he appeared in the long-running BBC soap operaEastEnders.
On 18 October 2019, he appeared on the BBC comedy panel showWould I Lie to You?.[8]
McCausland has established himself as a regular panellist on the BBCsatiricalnews show,Have I Got News for You,makingsix appearancessince his November 2019 debut. His most recent appearance was in May 2024.
In February 2020, he appeared on an episode of8 Out of 10 Cats Does CountdownonChannel 4.McCausland scored highly throughout the episode, playing by memory alone, and correctly guessed the difficult end of game "CountdownConundrum "before the sighted panellists. During the show, presenterJimmy Carrproduced blindfolds for the other contestants and encouraged them to try playing without sight.[citation needed]
On 15 January 2021, he appeared again on the BBC One showWould I Lie to You?[9]
In July 2022, Channel 4 announced McCausland would present a four-part travelogue series, provisionally titledThe Wonders of the World I Can't See.The series aired in June and July 2023.[10][11]
In April 2023, he was a contestant in the reality television seriesScared of the Dark.[12]In December 2023, he was a contestant onRichard Osman's House of Games.[13]
In March 2024, he featured in series 13, episode 5 ofNot Going Out,"Train".[14]On 29 June 2024, his Saturday morning chatshowThe Chris McCausland Showpremiered onITV1.[15]
From September 2024 McCausland competed in thetwenty-second seriesof BBC'sStrictly Come Dancing,where he was partnered by professional dancerDianne Buswell.[16]He is the first blind contestant to appear on the show.[17]In week 3 the couple danced ajiveto the "Wayne's World Theme"and scored 30 points; in week 4 they danced asalsato"Down Under"and again scored 30 points; and in week 5 they danced awaltzto "You'll Never Walk Alone"and scored 35 points. The couple became the 100th Strictly couple to perform in Blackpool. In the semi-finals they danced aCharlestonand aViennese Waltz,the latter of which scored 36 points. They were announced as the series winners.[18][19]
The winner ofStrictly Come Dancingwas determined by a live public vote at the final show. McCausland, who suffers fromretinitis pigmentosa,was crowned the winner following his performances on the dance floor and after tackling complex dance routines during the series with his professional dance partner Dianne Buswell.[20]
He appeared as a panelist onThe Big Fat Quiz of the Yearin 2024, paired withMaisie Adam.[21]Some viewers complained that the quiz featured many visual elements, with little effort made to account for his visual impairment.[22]
On 23 December 2024 it was announced that McCausland would deliver the annual Channel 4Alternative Christmas message,on Christmas Day, in which he would appeal for an end to discrimination against disabled people.[23]
Film
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Bad Tidings[24] | Scott |
Radio
editMcCausland was a guest onBBC Radio 4'sThe Museum of Curiosityin February 2023.[25]His hypothetical donation to this imaginary museum was "avinyl record".
Since March 2023, he has hosted a Radio 4 panel game about sound clips, calledYou Heard It Here First.[26]
In April 2024, he featured onBBC Radio 4’sRoom 101.
In January 2025, McCausland and his Strictly partner Buswell began a new podcast, calledWinning Isn't Everything.[27]
Personal life
editMcCausland lives with his wife and daughter.[5]
His blindness is due toretinitis pigmentosa,a genetic condition that has affected both his mother and grandmother. McCausland had complete loss of sight by the age of 22.[28]
He is a supporter ofLiverpool F.C.[citation needed]
References
edit- ^"Chris McCausland".Plex.Archivedfrom the original on 19 June 2023.Retrieved19 June2023.
- ^McCausland, Christopher John [@chrismccausland] (15 June 2023)."Cheers mate. Right back at ya!"(Tweet).Archivedfrom the original on 19 June 2023.Retrieved19 June2023– viaTwitter.
- ^McCausland, Christopher John [@chrismccausland] (2 July 2022)."Today this 45-year-old bloke is as giddy as a teenager. First concert since before the pandemic. All the way from Hollywood… Gguns N' fucking Roses 🤣🤘🏻"(Tweet).Archivedfrom the original on 19 June 2023.Retrieved19 June2023– viaTwitter.
- ^Swain, Marianka (2 June 2024)."Why blind comedian Chris McCausland is an inspired choice for scandal-hit Strictly".The Telegraph– via telegraph.co.uk.
- ^abSamuelson, Kate (9 January 2016)."The ECHO meets the West Derby stand up who wouldn't let blindness ruin his comedy career".Liverpool Echo.Retrieved12 January2024.
- ^Guide, British Comedy (23 July 2021)."Chris McCausland - First Gig, Worst Gig".British Comedy Guide.
- ^"Live at the Apollo Series 16, Episode 1 - Chris McCausland, Sophie Duker, Emmanuel Sonubi".Comedy.co.uk.
- ^"BBC One - Would I Lie to You?, Series 13, Episode 1".Bbc.co.uk.Retrieved3 December2019.
- ^"Would I Lie to You S14 E2. Stephen Hendry, Laura Whitmore, Chris McCausland, Maisie Adam".15 January 2021.Retrieved20 April2023– viaYouTube.
- ^"New four-part travelogue series from Open Mike Productions for Channel 4 starring Chris McCausland".Channel4.8 July 2022.Retrieved12 July2022.
- ^"The Wonders of the World I Can't See".Chortle.8 July 2022.Retrieved29 July2022.
- ^Henry, Grace (14 April 2023)."Scared of the Dark's Chris McCausland on experiencing show with blindness".Radio Times.Retrieved12 January2024.
- ^"BBC Two - Richard Osman's House of Games, Series 7, Week 11: Monday".BBC.Retrieved23 December2024.
- ^"BBC One - Not Going Out, Series 13, Train".BBC.Retrieved15 January2025.
- ^"ITV Show for Chris McCausland coming very soon!".chrismccausland /news.Retrieved29 June2024.
- ^"Strictly Come Dancing".The Independent.
- ^"Strictly Come Dancing 2024: Chris McCausland and JB Gill announced as first two celebrity contestants".BBC News.5 August 2024.Retrieved5 August2024.
- ^Nanji, Noor (14 December 2024)."Strictly winners crowned after glitzy live final".BBC News.Retrieved14 December2024.
- ^Muir, Ellie; McGrath, Rachel (14 December 2024)."Strictly final live: Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell win Glitterball Trophy in tear-jerking finale".The Independent.Retrieved14 December2024.
- ^Muir, Ellie (14 December 2024)."Strictly Come Dancing announces winner for 2024 series".The Independent.Retrieved14 December2024.
- ^"The Big Fat Quiz Of The Year: The Big Fat Quiz Of The Year 2024".British Comedy Guide.Retrieved29 December2024.
- ^Seddon, Dan (28 December 2024)."Big Fat Quiz of the Year draws criticism from Chris McCausland fans".Yahoo News.Retrieved29 December2024.
- ^Bakare, Lanre (23 December 2024)."Chris McCausland to deliver Channel 4's alternative Christmas message".The Guardian.Retrieved23 December2024.
- ^"Sky unveils official trailer for 2024 Christmas special 'Bad Tidings' starring Chris McCausland, Lee Mack and Rebekah Staton".skygroup.sky.Retrieved23 November2024.
- ^"The Museum of Curiosity - Series 17 - Episode 1".Bbc.co.uk.Retrieved4 March2023.
- ^"BBC Radio 4 - You Heard It Here First, Series 1, Episode 1".
- ^"Winning Isn't Everything with Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell".
- ^Duerden, Nick (16 June 2023)."Chris McCausland: 'A miracle to cure my blindness completely? I'd consider that'".The i paper.
Further reading
edit- Rose, Beth (24 June 2022)."How does blind comedian Chris McCausland play the HIGNFY picture round?".BBC News.Retrieved11 January2024.
- Logan, Brian (20 June 2022)."Chris McCausland: Speaky Blinder review – genial gags for midlife grumps everywhere".The Guardian.Retrieved11 January2024.