Chris McCausland‘s Strictly Come Dancing victory will be ‘life-changing’ for the blind comedian as companies ‘queue up to work with him’, a PR expert said today.
The 47-year-old and partner Dianne Buswell lifted the Glitterball trophy on Saturday following a public vote, as the BBC show celebrated 20 years on screen this year.
They beat actress Sarah Hadland and partner Vito Coppola, Love Island star Tasha Ghouri and dancer Aljaz Skorjanec and JLS singer JB Gill with Lauren Oakley
One commentator said McCausland would now be inundated with brand offers, but urged him to ‘hold out for the bigger deals that can take a bit longer to negotiate’.
McCausland fronted a TV advert for Barclays back in 2014 promoting talking cash machines, but he is now expected to receive plenty of offers for new partnerships.
Andy Barr, reputation management specialist at Season One Communications, told MailOnline: ‘Chris McCausland is a brand dream and is now going to go on and earn life-changing fees from companies who will queue up to work with him.
‘This will be from big-ticket fast-moving consumer goods brands keen to tap in to his progressive, wholesome and family-friendly image. He is not going to need to venture down the route of putting his name to product ranges and earning on the back of sales. Brands will just want to take his name and align it to his growing profile.’
Mr Barr said McCausland’s ‘can-do attitude is warming the nation’s hearts’, and his appearances on the Strictly tour will open the star up to more new fans.
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Chris McCausland and his partner Dianne Buswell won Strictly Come Dancing on Saturday
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Chris McCausland with his wife Patrica (left) and his daughter Sophie (right) last month
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McCausland fronted a TV advert for Barclays back in 2014 promoting talking cash machines
But he continued: ‘His challenge is to not spread himself to thinly and take any old offer that comes along. He needs to hold out for the bigger deals that can take a bit longer to negotiate.
‘I don’t think it is too conservative to say that I would expect him to have secured a seven-figure salary from brand deals by the end of 2025.
‘This is not taking into account the increased prices he will now be able to charge for his own comedy shows, although how he will find time for these when he is in so much demand will be a nice issue for him to face.’
Liverpool-born McCausland lost his sight completely by the age of 22 due to retinitis pigmentosa – a hereditary eye disease which causes gradual degeneration of the retina.#
Disability charity Sense and the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) have praised his success, and his raising of the profile of people who are living with disabilities.
And Miles Phillips, who runs marketing consultancy Miles Marketing, told MailOnline: ‘Chris McCausland’s Strictly win is a game-changer for brands ready to embrace bold, inclusive storytelling.
‘His unique perspective as a blind comedian, combined with his quick wit and authenticity, makes him a natural fit for campaigns that want to challenge perceptions, diversity and cut through with humour.’
Mr Phillips gave an example of an audiobook campaign with the tagline: ‘You don’t need sight to hear the story’, saying this would directly tie into the star’s lived experience while promoting inclusivity.
He added: ‘Brands that align with his humour and genuine approach have the potential to not only stand out but to create strong campaigns.
‘Chris now has the unique opportunity to achieve two important goals: raising awareness about vision loss and general eye health, and leveraging his disability to demonstrate to a larger audience that it is not a barrier to success in most areas of life.’
But PR expert Sean O’Meara, managing director of Manchester-based agency Essential Content, said: ‘Winning Strictly isn’t always a guarantee that your career will reach new highs. Cricketer Darren Gough won the third series and happily went back to his cricket career without much fuss.
‘It can be a great platform for bringing people from different fields into mainstream awareness and accelerating their existing careers. After news presenter Natasha Kaplinsky won in 2004, she became in such high demand that Channel 5 reportedly offered her a £1million a year salary to leave the BBC.’
He added that it was also a good platform for helping better-known public figures change the way they’re perceived – such as actress Kara Tointon, who won in 2020, being known before Strictly as Dawn Swann from Eastenders. Mr O’Meara said she had since taken on a wide variety of complex stage and screen roles.
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After months of dancing, McCausland was praised for his three routines – which included the couple’s favourite dance, their final show dance and the routine best enjoyed by the judges
Speaking about McCausland, he said: ‘In Chris’ case, I don’t necessarily anticipate glossy big brand endorsements or a significant change in career direction. He’s not that sort of public figures and in the fields that matter to him, he’s already pretty well established. What it may do though, is elevate him to a new level of status as a comedian.
‘Millions have been exposed for the first time to his unique and relatable brand of humour and I wouldn’t be surprised if the BBC were preparing a lucrative offer for him to have his own show. I also think his agents will be rubbing their hands together when they think of the size of the venues he’ll be able to sell-out now.’
TV expert Amy Stuart, owner of Social Life Media Ltd, told MailOnline she expected McCausland to be ‘overwhelmed with offers, but added: ‘I don’t think he’ll be promoting face cream or protein shakes on Instagram anytime soon.
‘Nor can I see him opening Amazon parcels in cringingly obvious product placement moments, like our Married at First Sight friends.’
She cited a recent interview on the Staying Relevant podcast with Pete Wicks, in which he revealed he had refused the Strictly offer many times before because he was ‘terrified’ and he didn’t want it to be all ‘violins and sob stories’.
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Chris McCausland and partner Dianne Buswell lifted the trophy following a public vote
Mrs Stuart added: ‘Chris already has loads going on, he has his Bad Tidings film out on Christmas Eve with comedian friend Lee Mack and a huge comedy tour ‘Yonks’ with a zillion dates to get through.
‘He’s been in the business for years plugging away but thanks to Strictly, 8.6million people now know him a little more. Let’s hope if he’s not too knackered from his comedy shows we get to see him on our screens much more.
‘Chris McCausland is not something that can be branded, bottled and bought. He has something much more special than that. The reason he touched everyone’s hearts this series is that he is undeniably himself. A funny, kind, humble man who tried his best, and won.’
After being announced as the winner on Saturday, McCausland said: ‘This is for her (Dianne) and it’s for everyone out there that thought and got told they couldn’t do something.
‘It just shows with opportunity and support and determination, anything can happen.’
He also thanked Buswell, saying: ‘She deserves this so much. She’s just honestly one of the easiest people to be funny with – and unless she changes her number, she’s stuck with me.’
He added that he ‘honestly thought I could go out in the first week or two, and I know no-one went out in the first week but I still thought I could’.
McCausland later revealed his daughter had made space in her bedroom for the trophy, joking that 11-year-old Sophie was ‘more interested in when the trophy was coming home than when I was’.
Speaking to The Telegraph, McCausland also revealed his daughter had previously protested against him taking part in the show over fears he might hurt himself – but he was convinced to take part by his wife Patrica.
After months of dancing, McCausland was praised for his three routines – which included the couple’s favourite dance, their final show dance and the routine best enjoyed by the judges.
Craig Revel Horwood says his ‘eyes opened’ after visiting the studio to see McCausland and Buswell perform, and read out a Christmas card to the comedian, describing him as a ‘light that shines for all to see’.
Head judge Shirley Ballas rose from her seat to give Buswell a hug and described her as an ‘amazing teacher’. Judge Motsi Mabuse said he was not just an inspiration for the blind community, but ‘a role model for each and every one of us’.
McCausland was given his first perfect score of 40 points for a waltz routine to You’ll Never Walk Alone by Gerry and the Pacemakers, his final dance of the series.
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Chris McCausland was given his first perfect score of 40 points for a waltz routine to You’ll Never Walk Alone by Gerry and the Pacemakers, his final dance of the series
His second routine featured different dance styles to You Get What You Give by New Radicals, and he also recreated his viral ‘blackout moment’ for the first dance.
In the couple’s choice routine to Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) by John Lennon, McCausland placed his hands over Buswell’s eyes as the room faded to black, before the ballroom went completely dark and then the light came back on – with pyrotechnics flaring in the background.
An average of 8.6million people tuned in on Saturday between 6pm and 8.35pm to watch the show, a small decrease compared with last year when Coronation Street star Ellie Leach won the final with Italian dancer Vito Coppola.
Last year, the show saw an average of 8.8million viewers for the live show, with a peak audience of 9.7million. The BBC’s overnight viewing figures revealed a peak audience of 9.6million for the end of the 2024 Strictly main series.
The conclusion of the 20th anniversary of the show comes as Strictly has been embroiled in controversy after a complaint made by 2023 contestant Amanda Abbington against Italian dancer Giovanni Pernice, alleging she was subject to a ‘toxic environment’ and ‘inappropriate, mean, nasty bullying’.
Pernice, who did not appear in the Strictly professional line-up for 2024, rejected ‘any claim of threatening or abusive behaviour’.
A BBC investigation upheld ‘some, but not all’ of the complaints made against the professional dancer by actress Abbington. A number of welfare measures – including chaperones in rehearsal rooms – have been introduced on the show this year.
