Strictly star blasts claim final result of 2024 series was a ‘woke win’

Former Strictly Come Dancing star Dan Walker has hit out at trolls claiming the result was a ‘woke win’.

On Saturday, Chris McCausland lifted the glitterball trophy with pro dancer Dianne Buswell in emotional scenes.

The comedian, 47, made history as the first blind contestant to win Strictly, as he beat Miranda actress Sarah Hadland and partner Vito Coppola, Love Island star Tasha Ghouri and dancer Aljaz Skorjanec and JLS singer JB Gill and partner Lauren Oakley.

Following his astonishing win, Chris said: ‘This is for [Dianne] and for everyone who was told they couldn’t do something. With opportunity, support and determination anything can happen.’

He’s been widely praised for inspiring not just the community of blind and partially sighted people, but everyone.

However, some trolls are unhappy with the win, claiming Tasha, JB and Sarah were better dancers who scored more points and should therefore have won.

Of course it wasn’t just Chris’ dancing abilities that stole the nation’s hearts, as his humour, resilience and determination won us all over.

And now newsreader Dan has blasted the backlash, taking to Instagram to celebrate Chris’ win and writing: ‘I’ve seen a few people saying this is ‘woke win.

‘Give your head a wobble. If you can’t see the joy in this then I’m afraid you are the blind one.’

Several of his followers rushed to also defend Chris in the comments, with @val9910 writing: ‘Strictly used to be about non dancers learning to dance. Tasha was undoubtedly the best dancers, and JB and Sarah were amazing too but Chris and his journey, to me, is what the show was meant to be about.

‘Not because he is blind but because he went from a non dancers to someone who danced well. The fact that he is blind makes it all the more incredible.’

‘Absolutely right Dan. This was an incredible win for an amazing teacher and her incredible student. Bravo both,’ @janiewarts added.

@jaynebrazier_07 added: ‘They are both amazing! Most of us have no idea how to dance, let alone without being able to see. The emotion was incredible & although any one of the four couples were good enough to win & deserved to win, Chris & Dianne filled our hearts with so much joy that they are the worthy winners.’

After Chris and Dianne were announced as the winners following a public vote, Dan – who participated in Strictly in 2021 with Nadiya Bychkova – wrote on Instagram: ‘Chris and Dianne are one of the best ever #Strictly couples and deserving winners. She has guided him brilliantly and he’s been amazing from week one.

‘He has been wonderful to watch and has managed to maintain his mild anarchy and sense of bewilderment throughout the whole thing. Long may he reign.’

Dan’s comments come after a blind charity worker said that Chris inspired him and the sight loss community, and it never felt like a ‘tokenistic’ choice by the BBC One competition.

Clive Wood, who is supported by Guide Dogs UK, and campaigns for the charity, says before real-time audio descriptions were put on Strictly he always had to rely on his family, who had their own biases about the outfits and contestants, to listen to the show.

He felt there has been a real difference this year for diversity, and said: ‘Unfortunately, I think quite often, when they have disabled people on mainstream programmes, (this is) not very often, but when they do … it’s seen as quite tokenistic.

‘But I think on this show, Chris was doing an amazing job, but obviously with Dianne, who was there to teach him and support him, and he did amazing, his achievement needs to be recognised as being a significant one, not just for them as a partnership.’

Meanwhile, Debbie Miller, director of customer advice and support at the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), told the PA news agency that Chris has been ‘absolutely incredible’ and inspiring for not just the community of blind and partially sighted people, but everyone.

‘I’m not sure they (Dianne and Chris) thought that they could achieve it, and they were quite honest about that,’ she added.

‘I think generally people would consider losing their eyesight as really scary, and I think that a lot of people feel that way so I think what Chris has done is said, “It’s scary, but there’s hope, and anyone can achieve with that opportunity and support”.’

Chris lost his sight completely by the age of 22 due to retinitis pigmentosa – a hereditary eye disease which causes gradual degeneration of the retina.

Reflecting on losing his sight, he previously shared: ‘Yes it was painful. I haven’t been able to see for 20 years. When it started happening it was scary and embarrassing.’

‘I got myself into bad situations because I didn’t want to ask for help. I will never be on a level playing field with everyone else.’

Strictly Come Dancing is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

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