22 November 2024
Chris McCausland is not taking part in the 'Strictly Come Dancing Live Tour'.
Chris McCausland is not taking part in the Strictly Come Dancing Live Tour
The 47-year-old comedian - who is the show's first blind contestant - has captured the nation's hearts as he and his dance partner Dianne Buswell continue to amaze fans with their moves but it has now been confirmed he will be unable to join the live tour in January because he doesn't want to shift his planned gig dates and disappoint ticket holders again.
His spokesman told the Mirror newspaper: "Chris has already shifted the dates of his tour to do 'Strictly' and that wasn’t an easy thing to do.
"There were a lot of disappointed people and it was stressful - we got a lot of messages. So he couldn’t move them again, absolutely not.
“Everyone has been very straight about this all the way along the line. It’s a great shame, because he’d love to do the tour, but Chris is not available.
"He said at the point of signing up that he wouldn’t be able to do it, that it wasn’t going to be possible, it was always clear."
Chris, who went blind at 22, has been impressing the judges - Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke - each week, and he is tipped to lift the coveted Glitterball Trophy.
His soaring popularity led him to announce 100 extra dates to his January 2025 to April 2026 tour.
The spokesman continued: "The lovely thing is no one could have foreseen just how well it was going to go for him on 'Strictly'.
"No one thought he’d get this far. But having already moved his tour dates once to accommodate the show, he is unable to do it again.
"His own tour was pre-planned and came first. There’s no way it can be moved for a second time, that just wouldn’t be fair on his fans."