Strictly’s Chris McCausland admits he ‘doesn’t want the sympathy vote’ to win the show after the blind comic became favourite to lift the Glitterball

Strictly Come Dancing favorite Chris McCausland has insisted he ‘doesn’t want to be the sympathy vote’ after becoming the firm favorite to win the show.

The comedian, 47, who is blind, has wowed viewers with his moves and will dance an emotional waltz with his professional partner Dianne Buswell this weekend.

Despite his dancing skills, Chris said he wants to progress based on merit, saying he “doesn’t mind” if viewers laugh at his performances.

“I don’t want to be the sympathy voice. I don’t mind being a bad dancer. “I don’t mind people making fun of me because I’m a comedy dancer or a bad dancer, but I didn’t want it to be a disaster because I can’t see,” Chris said The mirror.

The Strictly star went into detail about the anxiety he felt before his first performance, which sent viewers into a frenzy and quickly made himself and Dianne fan favorites.

The comedian, who is blind, has wowed viewers with his moves and will dance an emotional waltz with his professional partner Dianne Buswell this weekend

He added: “That first episode, I mean, to say I was shitting my pants is an understatement. The past few weeks have been tough in terms of energy.

“I’ve hit a few walls along the way and that’s to be expected for someone who sits on a stool for a living. I guess you could say that getting up is the feeling of fear and do it anyway.”

“I just embrace the madness. I mean, I’m okay with looking like an idiot, so I’m like, ‘dress me in whatever you want, paint me whatever color you want, and push me out of there.’

The EastEnders alum also admitted he had kept it Strictly bosses are wary because he refuses to let them know about the pranks he has planned, but he knows very well how to ‘check himself’ in front of daytime TV.

It comes after Chris revealed the secret signal he gives his partner Dianne during Strictly’s live shows.

He said he will hug Dianne tightly when they complete another week.

And the reason he does this is to give him time to sort out his emotions so he doesn’t cry on TV.

“I’m hugging you so tight at the end to make sure I don’t cry on TV,” he said.

Talking about how the show makes him emotional, he added: “The relief of getting through it, then being so ecstatic at the end and then the audience reaction, it’s a lot, we have little lip wobbles.”

The Strictly star went into detail about the anxiety he felt before his first performance, which sent viewers into a frenzy and quickly made himself and Dianne fan favourites.

Dianne and Chris keep fans updated every week with a video diary where they talk about their previous performance and how they prepared for the next one.

In a clip shared on Tuesday, Diane said: “We survived another week,” prompting Chris to ask: “Why did we survive another week Di?”

“Because of the lovely people who saved us,” Dianne said, while Chris added: “Because of the generosity of the people out there who picked up their phones.

“They had their thumbs ready and texted, emailed, whatever you do, sent a pigeon out the window with a piece of paper tied to its leg. We’re still here.’

Addressing how Chris was feeling, Dianne said: ‘We need to talk about the emotional side of this, we do.’

Chris recently revealed the secret signal he gives his partner Dianne Buswell during the Strictly Come Dancing live shows on Instagram

“You know how I am today Di,” Chris replied.

Dianne said: ‘So Chris is feeling very emotional today. One thing he does every time is he hugs me so tight at the end because you tell them.”

“I hug you so tight at the end so I can make sure I don’t cry on TV,” Chris added. “The relief of getting through it, then being so ecstatic at the end and then the audience reaction, it’s a lot, we have little lip movements.

“I gave you a hug and held you until I knew I could speak, and then the support from the people this weekend was overwhelming. You did a great job too.”

Dianne added: “Thank you. You know we both did a great job and you know, we have another great dance this week and I’m really excited about it. Nice overall. I’m really proud of you.’