Strictly's Chris McCausland stuns fans with poignant blackout moment during his 'fearless' Couple's Choice as blind comic is branded 'an inspiration'

Strictly Come Dancing’s Chris McCausland blew fans and judges away on Saturday evening with his ‘fearless’ performance.

The comedian, 47, and his professional dance partner Dianne Buswell, 35, took to the dance floor to perform a Couple’s Choice routine to Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) by John Lennon.

The dance partners were praised for a poignant black-out moment in their routine that mimicked Chris’s own experience as a blind person.

Judge Craig Revel Horwood, 59, complimented lauded their lifts as ‘absolutely spectacular’ while Motsi Mabuse, 43, said Chris was ‘inspiring us all’.

Meanwhile, judge Anton Du Beke, 58, added that Chris was ‘remarkable and inspirational’.

Strictly Come Dancing’s Chris McCausland blew fans and judges away on Saturday evening with his ‘fearless’ Couple’s Choice

The comedian and his professional dance partner Dianne Buswell took to the dance floor to perform a Couple’s Choice routine to Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) by John Lennon

Shirley Ballas, 64, was also blown away by the performance and said she was ‘getting emotional’ whilst complimenting the pair’s partnership and performance.

Looking almost lost for words, Shirley added: ‘You have no fear. You come out every week with your heart on your sleeve, and you give us 100%.’

Read More Strictly Come Dancing stars brush off ‘ageism row’ as they’re seen for the first time since claims that ‘five professionals are facing the axe’

As the duo walked away with a combined score of 33, fans also took to X, formerly Twitter, to comment on their performance and claimed Chris has ‘become an inspiration to so many’.

One fan wrote: ‘Once again Chris McCausland continues to be an inspiration on strictly he is incredible keep voting for him strictly family let’s get him to the final #Strictly #StrictlyComeDancing.’;

‘First time the nerves got to Chris but still an unbelievable routine. He’s not just a brilliant mover, he’s a brilliant dancer and that’s all thanks to Dianne. I love this pairing and I’m continually inspired by Chris #StrictlyComeDancing #strictly.’;

‘Dianne Buswell. You are a genius. Chris McCausland. You are a star. #strictly #StrictlyComeDancing #chrismccausland #diannebuswell #BBCStrictly.’;

‘#Strictly @chrismccausland and @dbuzz6589 are my absolute favourites. The speech Chris gave is really touching. Just in awe! #StrictlyComeDancing.’;

‘Chris, you might’ve come in with doubts, but fans couldn’t be prouder! You’ve become an inspiration to so many, showing what heart and determination can do. We’re all cheering you on! #Strictly #StrictlyComeDancing.’

The dance partners were praised for a poignant black-out moment in their routine that mimicked Chris’s own experience as a blind person

As the duo walked away with a combined score of 33, fans also took to X, formerly Twitter, to comment on their performance and claimed Chris has ‘become an inspiration to so many’

This year, Chris became Strictly’s first-ever blind contestant, and in an emotional video shown before their performance, he reflected on his past eight weeks on the show

He explained he’d arrived on the show thinking it ‘could be a bit of a disaster’ and that he’d surprised himself

Strictly Come Dancing leaderboard: Week Eight

1. JB Gill and Lauren Oakley – 37

2. Tasha Ghouri and Aljaz Skorjanec – 37

3. Montell Douglas and Johannes Radebe – 36

4. Pete Wicks and Jowita Przystal – 36

5. Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola – 33

6. Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell – 33

7. Wynne Evans and Katya Jones – 32

8. Jamie Borthwick and Michelle Tsiakkas – 30

9. Shayne Ward and Nancy Xu – 30

In an emotional video shown before their performance, Chris reflected on his past eight weeks on the show.

He explained he’d arrived on the show thinking it ‘could be a bit of a disaster’ and that he’d surprised himself.

The comedian explained that when he gradually lost his eyesight in his 20s, he experienced ‘denial’ and frustration, adding it became easier for him when he couldn’t see anything.

When discussing his appearance on the show, he added that some people have no exposure to people with disabilities and that it is important to show them that more is possible than they might think.

This year, he became Strictly’s first-ever blind contestant. When he lost his eyesight as a result of retinitis pigmentosa, a hereditary condition, he changed career from his previous job in web development to become a comedian.

It comes after it was reported that some of the show’s biggest professionals could be at risk of being axed in a huge shake-up.

Over the last year, the beloved BBC show has been hit by a string of scandals, and now sources are claiming that bosses plan to bring in a new generation of young dancers, with up to five professional dancers at risk.

Among those at risk are thought to be Nadiya Bychkova, Neil Jones, Karen Hauer, Gorka Marquez and Katya Jones, four of which have already been eliminated from this year’s compeтιтion.