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Chris McCausland at an awards show (Image: Getty)
Chris McCausland tied the knot with his wife after making a vow to himself that he’d pop the question at a Pearl Jam gig, provided that the rockers played the couple’s favourite song.
As he is living with blindness, auditory life is perhaps more important than ever for Chris – and the Strictly star was filled with emotion when the band played the song ‘Black’. It was an ironic choice for a proposal, as singer Eddie Vedder had once revealed that the song was about heartbreak and “letting go”.
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Yet while some people’s minds might conjure up a relationship ending, with the lyrics talking about bitterness and pictures that had been “washed in black”, it was the moment that Chris tearfully asked Patricia to marry him.
The pair had first met at Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where he was performing his material as a stand-up comedian and she was at the event in her capacity as a producer for Sky TV. The Brazilian born creator instantly hit it off with him during their 2005 meeting – and they’d soon be linking up in London too.
Three years later, fatherhood posed a new challenge for Chris: as if dating with vision impairment wasn’t enough of a struggle, he now faced the question of how to be a parent with his condition. He admitted at the time he was “tormented” with fears that he’d merely be a “half dad” instead of a “proper” one.
Chris McCausland excelled on Strictly, making his family proud (Image: Getty)
However, his daughter Sophie adores him and the pair have built up a very strong relationship, thanks to him overcoming his fears.
“My daughter knows nothing else but me not being able to see,’ he told the Daily Mail.
“She learned that she could point at things for my wife, and she put my hand on things with me. That’s how she learned to communicate with us.”
Protective Sophie had initially feared for his safety when he broke the news to her that he’d been asked to do Strictly.
Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell on Strictly (Image: BBC)
She’d urged him: “No, daddy – don’t do it, you’ll break your leg!”
However, with Patricia’s encouragement, the now 11-year-old soon came round and was full of empowerment messages for him.
During the competition stage, he admitted: “She says every Saturday: ‘It doesn’t matter if you go out Daddy, because I think you’ve already won.'”
Chris became blind in his 20s due to a hereditary condition called retinitis pigmentosa, but he’s vowed not to allow his condition hold him back – and he did a brilliant job of succeeding on the dancefloor, partnered by Dianne Buswell.
