CHRIS McCausland, formerly of Hereford, has made history as the first-ever blind contestant on Strictly Come Dancing, and has now revealed how he is learning to dance without sight.

The inspirational figure, who studied at Hereford's Royal National College for the Blind, has already dazzled Strictly fans with his partner Dianne Buswell.

Appearing on Strictly spin-off show It Takes Two tonight (September 25), McCausland said that much of his dance training is centred around sound.

"He listens to what I do with my feet and makes something like that," said his partner Buswell. "Touch, feel and sound work really well."

But McCausland said he was "terrified" about his first performance, as he knew he would not be able to hear Buswell over the sound of the music and the crowd.

"When we're training, I can hear Dianne around me," he said. "But with the crowd cheering, it closes the room, and I can't hear Dianne."

The pair revealed that their dance this week will be a foxtrot to the song Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy by the Tams.

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The 47-year-old comedian, originally from Liverpool, lost his eyesight in his early 20s as a result of retinitis pigmentosa, a hereditary condition. This diagnosis prompted a career change from his previous job in web development to become a comedian.

McCausland studied at the Hereford specialist college and even returned in 2022 to mark its 105th anniversary with a show at the Courtyard in Hereford.

He is known to television audiences for his role as Rudi in the CBeebies show Me Too, and regularly appears at comedy venues around the UK, including the Comedy Store.