Strictly Come Dancing’s Chris McCausland shares heartbreaking admission about being a dad

Chris McCausland has shared the heart-wrenching reasons why the thought of fatherhood initially filled him with fear. The Strictly Come Dancing sensation, aged 47, who is a proud dad to his daughter, Sophie, alongside his wife, Patricia, opened up about his fears around parenting on the Rosebud podcast with Gyles Brandreth. Born with retinitis pigmentosa (RP), Chris lost his vision at the age of 22 and confessed that the prospect of having children left him with a “dilemma”, yet he was aware he’d “regret” it if he didn’t embrace parenthood. He expressed: “I was in such a dilemma about it because I knew I would regret not having kids, but the thought of having kids terrified me. “I want to be good at things, you know?” He explained his drive to excel in areas in which he feels competent, and also delved into his own upbringing and the bond he shared with his father. Reflecting on his childhood, Chris said: “You go back to talking about your own parents, and my dad’s got nothing wrong with his eyesight, and all the things he used to do with me as a kid.” He shared his apprehensions, saying: “Taking me to different places and the time he put in helping me, you know, build things and you go, ‘How am I going to do all of those things? I’m not gonna be a proper dad. I’m gonna be a half-dad’.” The stand-up comedian also touched upon how his visual impairment has held him back from engaging fully in activities he once enjoyed due to the fear of “doing something to a lower standard”. Hailing from West Derby, Chris had a previous career as a web designer before his deteriorating eyesight led him down a different path. He ventured into stand-up comedy and made history as the first ever blind contestant on Strictly, impressing the judges with his Cha Cha. Partnered with Dianne Buswell, he earned praise from Anton du Beke, who called the performance “just brilliant”. Chris has been in a relationship with Patricia for 16 years, which began when she was working at the Edinburgh Festival for a TV programme, according to the Mirror. “We got married in 2012 after I’d proposed during a Pearl Jam concert at Hyde Park – rock and roll!” Chris said.