Strictly’s Chris McCausland hopes that he may have changed things for the better in M15 and that his failure may have ‘inspired’ the Secret Service. Chris McCausland is currently blowing away Strictly Come Dancing viewers and judges with his awe-inspiring performances on the BBC show. He and professional partner Dianne Buswell have managed to overcome the constraints of Chris’ blindness to produce some breathtaking performances.

As well as loving the pair’s routines, the studio audience and fans at home have been enjoying the 47 year old comedian’s sharp wit each week in response to the judges or hosts’ verdicts. Chris has been doing stand up for twenty years now so is well accustomed to delivering one-liners in a live environment.

Chris had a very different career in mind

However before he went into comedy, Chris had other aspirations and one was in a very serious and prestigious role. He left his native Liverpool to study software engineering at university in London but was forced to quit because the genetic disorder retinitis pigmentosa, which he suffers from, had completely taken his eyesight by that point.

It was then he decided to apply for his plan B career option – as a spy in MI5. Although it sounds like one of his jokes, he was serious about the career and managed to get down to the last 30 applicants out of 3,000.

Chris and Dianne have been wowing Strictly fans ( 

As part of the application process Chris had to do a psychometric test before travelling to the head office in London. According to the Express he revealed what happened during his interview when his condition was brought up. The interviewer reportedly quizzed: “I hope you don’t mind me saying, but your disability does strike me as being somewhat of a security risk.”

He replied to the awkward question by joking: “What’s more undercover than a blind fella meeting his mate in the pub for a pint?” To which the interviewer is said to have answered: “Yeah, good point.” They then wrote something down on a piece of paper and Chris joked that he liked to think it was: “More blind people”.

Chris revealed that ultimately he didn’t get the job because of his sight but that he hopes their meeting changed things for the better. He continued: “I lost out, basically because of my eyesight. They came to their senses” But I have recently learned that MI5 are specifically recruiting people with sight problems…I like to think that that note has inspired them 20 years on.”

According to the National Eye Institute (NEI), retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a group of rare eye diseases that affect the retina – the light-sensitive layer of tissue in the back of the eye. RP makes cells in the retina break down slowly over time, causing vision loss. There’s currently no cure but vision aids and rehabilitation programs can help some people make the most of their vision.

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