Although he is currently taking the Strictly Come Dancing stage by storm, Chris McCausland has announced that he'll be absent from the show's anticipated live tour starting in January.
After a dazzling performance that landed him two 10s and his highest score of the series so far in Blackpool, bookmakers are pegging Chris, 47, as a heavy favourite to clinch the title.
However, this could make him the first champion to miss out on the tour since the inception in 2008.
The Liverpool-born star confirmed he won't be appearing alongside his partner Dianne Buswell, 35, as his personal comedy tour schedule clashes with the Strictly tour.
As he previously postponed dates to participate in this series of Strictly, Chris is now devoted to honouring commitments to those who've secured tickets to his stand-up shows in January and February.
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A representative for the comedian told The Mirror: "Chris has already shifted the dates of his tour to do Strictly and that wasn't an easy thing to do. There were a lot of disappointed people and it was stressful - we got a lot of messages. So he couldn't move them again, absolutely not.
"Everyone has been very straight about this all the way along the line. It's a great shame, because he'd love to do the tour, but Chris is not available.
The spokesperson continued: "He said at the point of signing up that he wouldn't be able to do it, that it wasn't going to be possible, it was always clear."
"It's a wonderful surprise that he's done so remarkably well on Strictly, exceeding everyone's expectations. Having already rescheduled his tour dates once to fit in the show, it's just not feasible to do it again.
"His tour was booked in advance and takes priority, so it can't be postponed for a second time - that wouldn't be fair to the fans who have already committed."
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Bill Bailey is the only champion who has missed the tour since its inception, however, this was only because it was cancelled in 2021 due to Covid.
This development comes after Chris added 100 extra dates to his tour last month, which is now set to run from January 2025 to April 2026, with most of the original dates sold out.
However, his unavailability is causing concerns for the Strictly tour organisers and BBC Studios, who worry it may impact ticket sales.
It also raises questions about Craig Revel-Horwood's claim that the event, with ticket prices ranging from £35 to £100, would give fans the opportunity to see "their favourite celebrities and dancers up close and personal."
Ladbrokes has named Chris as the "runaway favourite" for victory with staggering odds of 1/6, leaving Sarah Hadland trailing at 6/1, and Tasha Ghouri further behind at 14/1.
A spokesperson from Ladbrokes remarked: "Chris McCausland seems to be running away with the competition this year - punters only see one winner."
