I didn’t want to do Strictly, but I’m easily persuaded – Chris McCausland

Comedian Chris McCausland says he did not want to do Strictly Come Dancing when he was repeatedly asked, and has spoken about how he was persuaded to change his mind.

The first blind contestant on the BBC One show will compete against other famous faces including X Factor winner Shayne Ward, Love Island star Tasha Ghouri, singer Toyah Willcox, JLS member JB Gill, Olympic hockey player Sam Quek, Morning Live’s Dr Punam Krishan, and ex- footballer Paul Merson.

McCausland, who is partnered with Dianne Buswell, says he “didn’t want to do Strictly at first, I didn’t, I was asked a few times to do, like last year’s and the Christmas special and I didn’t”.

However, the 47-year-old says he is “very easily persuaded into things by people” flattering him.

McCausland says there is not “a lot of pointers” from listening to it, so he does not have “any kind of attachment to the idea of it”, but thinks it will be good to be out of his “comfort zone”.

He added he “can’t judge” who will be able to dance, but he has concerns about opera singer Wynne Evans as he is “so funny that I’ve really got to keep my eye on him in terms of stealing the limelight with the comedy”.

Ghouri, the second deaf contestant on the show, explained how she currently tackles dancing, saying that she has to “feel the vibrations” to understand the rhythm of the music.

“I can really feel that through my body, especially like in training room,” the 26-year-old model and dancer, who is partnered with Aljaz Skorjanec said.

“I’ll be saying, put the speaker right up, (as) I really love just to feel it.”

Pairings also include Dr Punam and Gorka Marquez, Willcox and Neil Jones, Ward and Nancy Xu, Gill and Amy Dowden, Quek and Nikita Kuzmin, and Merson and Karen Hauer.

Dowden, who has returned to show after a battle with breast cancer, says she hopes she will give anyone going through the condition “hope and courage”.

She added: “I’m just excited about every little thing again, and you just appreciate it so much when you’ve had it taken away from you. ”

Dowden also said that when she was on “the oncology unit all last winter”, she saw first hand how the celebrity dance show lifts people’s spirits.

Gill said: “I’m very pleased and excited about my partnership, so looking forward to getting started.”

During the Saturday launch show, there was no mention of the accusations about teaching methods that have hit Strictly during its 20th anniversary year.

Findings from an investigation launched by the BBC after allegations were made about Giovanni Pernice by 2023 Strictly participant Amanda Abbington are yet to be revealed.

Pernice, who has left Strictly and since joined the Italian version of the series and been partnered with actress and singer Bianca Guaccero, has denied all accusations.

The first 2024 live Strictly Come Dancing show airs at 7pm on BBC One on Saturday.