Chris McCausland admits Strictly 'wears you down' in heartbreaking statement after win

Strictly: Moment Chris McCausland is crowned 2024 winner

Strictly Come Dancing 2024 champ Chris McCausland has revealed what it really felt like to lift the coveted glitterball trophy in his first TV interview after winning the show.

During Monday's visit (December 16) to the ITV studios, fans were greeted with a familiar face in place of usual host Lorraine Kelly.

On Sunday night (December 15), the beloved Scott was singing her heart out with her Change and Check Choir at the Royal Variety Performance.

While the TV veteran recuperates from the star-studded performance, her co-star Ranvir Singh stood in her place as she welcomed the 47-year-old comic onto the show.

The doting-dad couldn't help but get emotional as she shared a compilation video from the visually impaired comedian's time on the BBC dance competition.

Strictly champ Chris McCausland has opened up about what it was like to win the BBC competition (Image: ITV)

She began: "It's emotional, Chris, congratulations. We are so very, proud of you. How does it feel on a Monday morning having just won Strictly?"

He replied: "You know what, it was a really emotional Saturday night and I'm still kind of feeling quite worn down by it.

"You know, three and a half months of it, as you know, it's relentless. It's consuming physically and mentally, it takes its toll and this is what this show does.

"It wears you down physically and mentally, and then it pokes you with a stick until you're crying in front of everybody. I mean, it was impossible to hold it in. We were all in tears."

During the live final, the funnyman even got a hug from the harsh critic Craig Revel-Horwood after his tear-jerking waltz to the hit single You'll Never Walk Alone.

The comic struggled to hold back tears on the show (Image: ITV) SUBSCRIBE Invalid email

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However, the 59-year-old dance expert is still in one person's bad books as he revealed how his family felt after receiving the good news on Saturday.

When he was asked what his 11-year-old daughter Sophie felt about the long-standing judge, he admitted: "She threw things at the telly when Craig was on, and she calls him a bum.

"Even after the final, even after he gave us a 10 and said something nice, she couldn't forgive the two eights." His BBC win comes just one week before his Christmas film with fellow comic Lee Mack hit the airwaves, titled Bad Tidings.

He is also set to begin the first stretch of his comedy tour in January while the rest of his Strictly co-stars embark on the Strictly Come Dancing Live tour.

Explaining his absence from the nationwide tour, he admitted: "I started my tour in January this year and I did the first leg until May and I was meant to be back out in September. We moved the dates to accommodate Strictly, so we just moved them to January.

"We had to move these dates to accommodate Strictly and it just wasn't a consideration at the time... I don't think anybody thought I would be any good at it.

"I don't think they thought it, I don't think I thought it. And in terms of going on tour in January, I didn't think I'd be going on tour on the back of Strictly. I thought I'd have about two months off."

Lorraine airs on weekdays from 9am on ITV1 or catch up on ITVX.

Chris McCausland admits Strictly 'wears you down' in heartbreaking statement after win

Chris McCausland admits Strictly 'wears you down' in heartbreaking statement after win

Chris McCausland admits Strictly 'wears you down' in heartbreaking statement after win

Chris McCausland admits Strictly 'wears you down' in heartbreaking statement after win

Chris McCausland admits Strictly 'wears you down' in heartbreaking statement after win