As dance fans prepare for the highly anticipated Strictly Come Dancing finale on Saturday night, this year fans have an extra reason to celebrate as the show marks a historic first
After 12 weeks of sequins, shimmies and more fancy footwork than you can shake a stick at, this week Strictly Come Dancing ’s phenomenal 20th series will finally come to a close, with the four remaining contestants Sarah Hadland, JB Gill, Chris McCausland and Tasha Ghouri, duking it out for the chance to claim the coveted glitter ball trophy. Yet while many fans are used to the process by now, this year marks a historic first for the hit BBC show, as two of the four finalists are disabled – a move which many disability charities have praised for finally showing disabled people up and down the country, that anything is possible when it comes to living their dreams.
Finalist Chris, who has been partnered with Diane Buswell for this year’s competition, lives with a condition called retinitis pigmentosa, a rare genetic condition which causes vision loss, and has led the comedian becoming blind. Meanwhile former Love Island star Tasha Ghouri, who has been paired with Aljaž Škorjanec, was born deaf and after initially being fitted for a hearing aid as a child, later went on to be given a cochlear implant.
Strictly Come Dancing finalists 2024 are Chris McCausland, JB Gill, Sarah Hadland and Tasha Ghouri and their pro partnersThis weekend, both Tasha and Chris will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of former deaf contestant Rose Ayling-Ellis, who famously won the show back in 2021 with partner Giovanni Pernice, after dazzling judges and audiences alike.
Speaking about the significance of having two disabled contestants make it all the way to the final after stunning audiences with their performances on screen, Steven Morris, Campaigns Officer for the disability charity Sense, who himself is deafblind, said: “Over the last few months, millions across the country have been wowed by the efforts of Chris and Tasha.
Chris McCausland lost his sight at 22 and is a finalist on Strictly Come Dancing with his pro partner Dianne Buswell (
Image:
PA)
“Their incredible progress to this weekend’s final goes to show that given opportunities and support, disabled people can break down barriers many wrongly don’t think are possible.
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“This is an important moment for representation. Disabled people make up nearly a quarter (24%) of the population, but more than a third (39%) say that their experiences are never or rarely seen in the media.
“Hopefully, Chris and Tasha’s success on this year’s Strictly will lead to many more disabled people being included in the biggest TV shows.”
Tasha Ghouri and Aljaz Skorjanec are also set to compete (
Image:
PA)
Meanwhile, the Royal Society for Blind Children also weighed in on the milestone moment, with Julie Davis, CEO saying: “Chris’s Strictly journey has been an inspiration to the 35,000 children and young people living with vision impairment across the UK. Every week he has thrown himself into the experience and broken outdated stereotypes about what blind and partially sighted people can achieve.
“Learning to dance, at the level he has, is challenging for anyone. However, Chris and Diane have been able to demonstrate that, with the right structure and tools, anyone can reach their full potential whether it’s on the Strictly dancefloor, education, or in everyday life. Absolutely thrilled for Chris and Diane!”
