Strictly Come Dancing favourite Chris McCausland broke down in tears during Sunday night’s results show as he found out he had made it through the 2024 final.

The comedian, 47, is the first blind contestant in the history of the BBC show, and on Saturday he and partner Dianne Buswell scored 36 out of 40 for their Viennese waltz to Metallica track Nothing Else Matters.

Speaking to host Claudia Winkleman on Sunday after finding out they were through, the fan favourite fought back tears as he admitted: ‘It’s been emotional,’ before thanking viewers and those who had voted for him for ‘getting on board with what we’ve been doing.’

‘It’s been hard, it’s been the scariest thing I’ve ever done. It’s been knackering and I can barely talk.’

Dianne took over as she explained how genuine Chris’ emotiona were, admitting: ‘It’s hard to crack this guy, he hides behind his comedy a lot.’

Turning to her dance partner she said: ‘You have taught me so much. The fact we’re in the final shows that anything is possible.’

Strictly Come Dancing favourite Chris McCausland broke down in tears during Sunday night’s results show as he found out he had made it through the 2024 final

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The comedian, 47, is the first blind contestant in the history of the BBC show, and on Saturday he and partner Dianne Buswell scored 36 out of 40 for their Viennese waltz

The couple also teased their finale showdance, revealing they would be dancing to New Radicals classic You Get What You Give.

‘We just want everyone to smile alongside us at home,’ Dianne teased of the fun dance, as Chris added that the song’s lyrics meant something to him, quipping:’To be in the final we’ve got the dreamer’s disease’.

On Saturday night Dianne made a plea with the public as to why she and Chris should be in the final as she insisted she ‘could not be prouder’ of what he has achieved.

She said: ‘I have taught Chris this whole time without a single visual cue. He’s never been able to watch a video back to see whether he’s done a good job

‘He’s never been able to see his competitors, or what the competition is like but he has cpatured the spirit of this show

‘I could not be prouder of him.’

Fans at home were in agreement with Dianne, and one even called for viewers to ‘boycott’ the show altogether if they do not lift the Glitterball Trophy.

Chris has been a favourite throughout the competition but the Mail reported this weekend that the Strictly judges are ‘furious’ that its most talented celebrity dancers are being booted off the show while the less able ones stay

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Speaking to host Claudia Winkleman on Sunday after finding out they were through, the fan favourite fought back tears as he admitted: ‘It’s been emotional’

Craig Revel Horwood in particular is said to be ‘stunned’ at how the likes of athlete Montell Douglas and actor Jamie Borthwick have been evicted, while reality TV star Pete Wicks made it to the semi-final despite having far lower scores than fellow competitors.

Strictly has always regarded itself as more serious than other reality series, but the judges and some BBC bosses now fear that it is becoming a popularity contest.

Their concerns come after Pete and the programme’s first blind contestant, Chris, made it to the semi-final – meaning at least one of them will make it through to next week’s final.

The situation has created a dilemma, with insiders fearing the two men will win places at the expense of others, like Tasha and JB – who have received high scores.

A source told the Mail’s Katie Hind: ‘For the judges, this shift has been difficult. They are dancers and choreographers. Their entire careers – and lives – have been about being the best and the very best dancing.

‘So to see the show becoming about who likes who the most rather than the quality of their dancing… you could say it is rather depressing.

‘To think that Pete has had a risk-free journey on the show, while Tasha and Montell have faced the dance-off has made those at the top question what the future of Strictly looks like.

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Strictly has always regarded itself as more serious than other reality series, but the judges and some BBC bosses now fear that it is becoming a popularity contest (Chris and Diane seen)

‘It is turning into a popularity contest rather than a dance one.’

The insider added: ‘Those watching at home love to watch beautiful dancing. It is joyous for them to watch a perfect performance.

‘But the landscape has changed, and it is causing a bit of a crisis. We are looking at a final where the dancing is nowhere up to the standards it usually is, but instead has the celebrities that people actually enjoy watching.

‘But the public vote, and they have the right to say who they want in the show.’