Strictly fans discover Chris McCausland's forgotten soap stint
by Lily Jobson For Mailonline · Mail OnlineStrictly Come Dancing fans were left gobsmacked as they discovered Chris McCausland's forgotten soap stint.
The blind comedian, 47, has been on multiple shows over the years including Would I Lie To You, Have I Got News For You and 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown.
But some fans have forgotten he made his soap cameo in EastEnders, playing the character Karl for one episode in 2018.
Amid his current stint on Strictly, the unearthed clip of him in EastEnders has had fans on X totally shocked.
Fans wrote: 'How have I never noticed this until now?',
'I was so surprised like how did no one notice this',
'Didn’t know he was in ee omg'.
In the scene, Chris' character Karl plays chess with Bernadette Taylor (Clair Norris) in Kathy's cafe and makes jokes about his disability to distract her from winning.
Chris has made history as the first blind contestant on the dancing show, wowing viewers with his routines with pro partner Dianne Buswell.
Their Jive to the Wayne's World theme at the beginning of October scored them a solid 30 points – a seven-point jump from their first week and this weekend will see them dancing a Salsa to Down Under by Men at Work for Icon Week.
But Strictly isn’t Chris’ first taste of TV. From 2006-2007, he played Rudi in CBeebies' Me Too!, delighting kids with his colourful outfits and cheeky songs.
According to the Express, the show was set in the town of Riverseafingal, where Chris would sing and educate children on everything from littering to healthy eating.
And while it is common knowledge to some people, a few fans were left shocked over his previous career and his Me Too! clips were recently unearthed on Reddit.
In the video, Chris can be seen on his way to work on a market stall, wearing a yellow striped top and checked shirt.
During the clip he walks along the river, singing a cheerful tune and takes out his white walking cane as he approaches tactile paving which helps warn visually impaired people when they are coming up to the end of a pavement.
One quipped: 'It’d be hilarious if he did that routine again now!'
Another said: 'I came across an ad for a new series this Chris McCausland lad was in and knew I recognised him from somewhere. turn out that this is where I saw him!'
Whilst others described him as a: 'Cracking lad' and 'absolute legend.'
Chris also nearly became a spy. In a 2021 interview with The Guardian, Chris shared that he also applied to be a spy with MI5, but ended up failing to make the cut due to his eyesight.
'I got down to the last 30 out of 3,000 for MI5 selection,' he said.
'Eventually, I got refused because of my eyesight. Fair play. It's perfectly acceptable to discriminate for the safety of the nation. The job was identifying and targeting terrorist threats, which obviously you need to do in a limited amount of time.'
Chris also had roles in EastEnders, Krapopolis, and Not Going Out.
It also comes after Strictly Come Dancing: The Official Podcast was axed by the BBC.
The corporation confirmed to Ok! that the podcast, which has covered each series since 2019, would not be returning this year.
Hosted by Joe Sugg, who competed with his now girlfriend Dianne in the 2018 series, and producer Kim Winston, the podcast offered fans behind-the-scenes insight, in depth interviews and commentary on the series' gossip.
Of its cancellation, a BBC Spokesperson told OK!: 'In early 2024, we made the decision to end Strictly Come Dancing: The Official Podcast.
'We're very proud of the last six series and grateful to Joe Sugg, Kim Winston and all the team involved who made it a success. Fans of Strictly can still tune in to Off The Telly, our weekly TV podcast.'
The spokesperson said that Off The Telly hosts Joanna Page and Natalie Cassidy will be offering their opinions on the series instead.