Chris McCausland lost his sight in his early 20s
17:48, 23 Nov 2025
Chris McCausland is presenting a new documentary tonight on how advancements in technology are helping people who have lost their sight(Image: Publicity pic)
Chris McCausland is returning to screens tonight to present a new documentary. Seeing Into the Future airs tonight at 8pm on BBC Two and sees Chris explore the future of technology and how it might benefit people who are visually impaired.
Scouse comic Chris lost his sight in his early 20s as he was born with hereditary eye condition, retinitis pigmentosa. In an interview with the ECHO this year, Chris spoke about how both his mum and nan lost their sight from the condition, which gave him the tools to come to terms with his blindness.
He said: “Blindness was in my family so it was always just kind of a normal part of life. Things happen and they’re frustrating. You can swear at items of furniture that you bang your head on and lose your patience, but you’ve got to laugh at the daftness of it, otherwise it would eat you alive.”
Chris has become an inclusivity trailblazer as he is now a household name in comedy and captured the hearts of the nation on his way to winning Strictly Come Dancing last year. However, his journey has faced difficulties as he spoke about losing his sight meant he had to change career paths.
In a previous interview with Mirror Online, he said: “I found myself in difficult situations because I was reluctant to ask for help. I knew I would never be on a level playing field with everyone else. My eyesight deteriorated significantly while I was at university, and the technology available at that time wasn’t advanced enough, so I had to abandon my career path in web development.”
In his interview with the ECHO, he added: “The 22 year old me was unemployed for two years. Trying to figure out what he was going to do, what was possible and drinking too much. Not in a great place.”
Chris had relocated to London to study at Kingston University and graduated with a degree in Software Engineering. However, opportunities were hard to come by and Chris eventually got a job in a call centre, before he made the leap to try out stand up comedy as a dare to himself.
He said: “Comedy was always a hobby. As a hobby it gave me so much, it gave me the adrenaline and the excitement that had been missing in my day job.
“The comedy made up for the monotony of [call centre work] and I loved it.” The dare changed his life as Chris proved to be an incredible stand up comedy as he is now one of the most popular in the country. Chris credits his West Derby upbringing for his humour and for the way he has been able to overcome adversity in his life.
He said: “Liverpool is a funny city. What helps is its history. The political history, with tragedy and poverty.
“All of that has built a city that is colourful and vibrant, that laughs in the face of adversity and uses comedy to get through dark times.
“It’s a city with two major football teams. You’ve got Evertonians and Liverpudlians in the same families, working alongside each other and you’re all ribbing one another. It’s all added to this melting pot that made it, when I was growing up, a vibrant and funny place to be.”
Chris spoke to the ECHO ahead of the release of his new autobiography, Keep Laughing, which is available now. The 48-year-old’s new documentary explores the way technology is improving access for people with blindness.
In his interview with the ECHO, he explained how he hopes to continue on the legacy from his Strictly win and continue to change perceptions and improve conditions for the next generation.
He said: “The world changes a lot in terms of employment, education and what was possible in my childhood was completely different to what was possible in my mum’s or my nan’s.
“Where I benefited in a lot of ways that my mum and my nan didn’t from the time I grew up in, kids today are benefitting in ways that I didn’t. To be part of something like Strictly when you get to send out a message like that felt like a real privilege.”
Chris McCausland: Seeing Into the Future airs on BBC Two tonight at 8pm.
