'Strictly's Chris McCausland has the exact same eye condition as me - here's how it started'

Sarah Brandt, 50, who has the same condition as Strictly Come Dancing finalist Chris McCausland, has shared what life is like without eye sight and how she manages day-to-day

Strictly Come Dancing's Chris McCausland, who completely lost his vision at 22 to retinitis pigmentosa (RP), has become a fan favourite for mastering dance routines with pro partner Dianne Buswell without sight. His powerful performance encapsulated his journey with blindness, shedding light on RP and resonating with viewers such as Sarah Brandt. Diagnosed at 25, Manchester-based Sarah shared her story with OK!, saying: "I'm registered blind, I don't have any useful vision in my left eye, it's completely blurry, and in my right eye, it's around four per cent, and it's like looking through a straw" – unlike Chris, who is completely blind. Sarah's vision loss began with night blindness in her late teens, first impacting her peripheral vision.

"It started off with night blindness during my late teens when I started driving, and I couldn't see very much as soon as it got a little dark anywhere. I couldn't see things like steps or curbs, as it starts with your peripheral vision, so top and bottom and side to side." Sarah recounted her journey with a rare eye condition that runs in her family, saying: "My dad has the same condition, and initially, he was told he couldn't pass it on to his children because he had a gene that wasn't passed on, but when I started having the night blindness, we thought it was probably the same thing."

After seeing an Ophthalmologist, she was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a group of rare diseases affecting the retina, as described by the National Eye Institute (NEI). RP leads to the gradual deterioration of retinal cells, resulting in vision loss, and currently, there's no cure. Reflecting on her diagnosis, Sarah shares: "I suppose people say that they're in denial. I don't know if it was denial, but it didn't really affect me at the time. I thought, 'Oh, that's a bit rubbish', but then life carried on as normal. So it didn't really affect me as much at the time, but it wasn't great."

She further explained the unpredictable nature of RP, noting that it causes a "deterioration" of eyesight, which varies from person to person. As a mother, Sarah is uncertain about how RP will progress for her or whether she might one day become "completely blind" like her father, who suddenly lost all his sight overnight. "It can happen like that," she adds.

"It's always in the back of my mind that one day, I might go completely blind," she confessed. "I often think, what if I can't see my husband and son's face - that's my biggest thing. Hopefully, I don't lose all of my remaining sight, but you've got to push on and deal with it." The moment the reality of her diagnosis truly sank in for Sarah was when, at 35, she was informed she could no longer drive. "That was the biggest thing for me because I was driving and going to work - that was terrible and the biggest blow for me," she recounted.

Living in South Africa then, Sarah found it "really hard" as she became dependent on others for transportation to work. "It was a massive loss of independence, and South Africa doesn't even have a public transport system - you either drive or don't go anywhere - there was no other option." This struggle to maintain independence was among the reasons why Sarah, along with her husband and 16 year old son, decided to move back to the UK about eight years ago.

Back in the UK, she has managed to reclaim some autonomy, frequently using public transport and now works for the sight loss charity Henshaws. Additionally, she was paired with her guide dog, Pepsi, roughly three years ago. Recalling her first stroll with Pepsi, Sarah says: "I actually felt quite emotional. I just felt like I didn't have to be looking down at my feet, trying to see where the curb is or anything. She stops at every curb so that I don't fall off the curb, she puts her feet on the steps for the bus and finds me a seat on the bus or tram."

She explained how day-to-day life poses extra challenges, noting "everything is a little bit harder" and it's all about meticulous planning. "I have to know where I'm going to give directions to my guide dog; I've got to be aware and focused all the time," Sarah admitted. The 50-year-old went on to detail the demanding nature of her daily routine: "I've got to plan times with buses or taxis, I know exactly which seat I normally sit on the tram, and I know exactly how many steps there are up and down from the tram stop. It's quite mentally exhausting because everything just takes a lot of time and effort."

Chatting about Chris' journey on Strictly, Sarah marvelled at his learning of routines: "He's got to remember and can't take a visual cue", adding candidly, "he must be shattered." Amongst all the awe, she reveals: "It's just amazing to see how he overcomes these challenges. He can't watch the videos back, and he can't see what he's done wrong or what he needs to do. And it's just amazing how Dianne has adapted to teach him, and for him, it's all his memory, and it's really inspirational."

Sarah is wholeheartedly supporting Chris' bid to snag the coveted Glitterball trophy in the upcoming finale, asserting: "He's not the best dancer there, but I think he's definitely put in the most effort and improved the most - he's been phenomenal."