While we’re not allowed to have favourites on Strictly, one of the couples smashing it week after week are Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell. The 47-year-old comedian, who’s made history as the show’s first blind contestant, and his dance partner, 35, have become fan faves with their amazing routines and their close bond, as seen on their behind-the-scenes videos. As the competition hots up, the pair are the bookies’ favourites to lift the glitterball trophy. In between rehearsals, heat got a chance to catch up with the duo...
You’re smashing it on Strictly. Chris, did you know you are a great dancer?
Chris: No! Every time we get through, I say to Dianne, ‘I got away with that, didn't I?’ It’s gone better than I thought it would, because I had no idea whether I'd be able to do it at all, which is partly my doubt and the fear of doing Strictly. That first episode, to say I was shitting my pants is an understatement.
Dianne: I'd never seen him go that shade of grey in my life. It was ghostly. It terrified me, because we were so unsure of how Chris would cope with the audience and the sound. The grey is slowly getting more towards skin tone as the weeks go on, but there's still a slight shade every week.
Have you always been so fearless?
Chris: To an extent I am. I said no to this a few times because I just didn't think I'd be able to do it. I don't want to be the sympathy vote. I don't mind being a bad dancer. I don't mind people laughing at me because I'm a comical or bad dancer, but I didn't want it to be a calamity because I couldn't see. So, it did take a while to acclimatise myself to the idea of doing this.
What’s it like having to be up close and personal with Dianne?
Chris: There are no awkward barriers. I'm quite tactile. I'm a hugger. So, there was no real awkwardness at all.
Dianne: He knew that, to get him to do the dances, there’d be a lot of touch. I have to move him into positions. We came through that really quickly, really easily. It’s not been awkward at all.
Chris: I’m quite used to saying to people, ‘Just put me where you want me. It's quicker.’ None of this ‘Left a bit, right a bit. Just f**king move me where you want me’.
What’s your secret weapon to getting to the final?
Dianne: Just keep pushing the boundaries as much as we can. It’s still early days, but Chris is getting better each week. I can't even believe he's the same person since we did the launch show. The moaning is definitely the same, but dance-wise, it blows my mind how much that's changed from then to now.
Chris: Ultimately, I'm surprising myself and probably a few people. Dianne's making her choreography work for us and making things look impressive – it's as much down to her to create these things and teach me, than me being able to do it. Also, we're having a laugh and I'm learning how to dance, and Dianne's really easy to be funny with.
You’re the bookies’ favourite to win the series. Are you thinking of the final?
Dianne: We don't think of that at all. We have enough on our plate week by week to keep our brains busy.
Chris: All we can do is try and do better than we did the last week. Dianne's folks are coming over from Australia in November. If we can be here then, because they haven't seen her dancing in ages, that'd be lovely. But I'm a football fan, so we're taking it one game at a time.
WATCH: behind the scenes of Nicole and Ciaran's heat shoot
Strictly Come Dancing continues on BBC One every Saturday and Sunday