After 12 weeks of sequins, shimmies and fancy footwork, Strictly Come Dancing's spectacular 20th anniversary series is set to conclude this week. The four remaining contestants Sarah Hadland, JB Gill, Chris McCausland and Tasha Ghouri are vying for the coveted glitter ball trophy.
This year marks a historic first for the hit BBC show, with two of the four finalists being disabled - a move lauded by many disability charities for demonstrating that anything is possible when it comes to pursuing dreams. Finalist Chris, partnered with Diane Buswell, lives with retinitis pigmentosa, a rare genetic condition causing vision loss, leading to his blindness.
Former Love Island star Tasha Ghouri, paired with Aljaž Škorjanec, was born deaf and later received a cochlear implant after initially being fitted with a hearing aid as a child. This weekend, both Tasha and Chris will be hoping to emulate former deaf contestant Rose Ayling-Ellis, who famously won the show in 2021 with partner Giovanni Pernice, after impressing judges and audiences alike.
Steven Morris, Campaigns Officer for the disability charity Sense, who is deafblind himself, praised the achievements of the two disabled finalists on Strictly Come Dancing: "Over the last few months, millions across the country have been wowed by the efforts of Chris and Tasha."
He continued to highlight the significance of their success: "Their incredible progress to this weekend's final goes to show that given opportunities and support, disabled people can break down barriers many wrongly don't think are possible.", reports The Mirror.
Morris also pointed out the importance of representation: "This is an important moment for representation. Disabled people makeup nearly a quarter (24%) of the population, but more than a third (39%) say that their experiences are never or rarely seen in the media."
He expressed hope for the future: "Hopefully, Chris and Tasha's success on this year's Strictly will lead to many more disabled people being included in the biggest TV shows."
Julie Davis, CEO of the Royal Society for Blind Children, also commented on the impact of the show, particularly praising contestant Chris: "Chris's Strictly journey has been an inspiration to the 35,000 children and young people living with vision impairment across the UK. Every week he has thrown himself into the experience and broken outdated stereotypes about what blind and partially sighted people can achieve."
"Learning to dance, at the level he has, is challenging for anyone. However, Chris and Diane have been able to demonstrate that, with the right structure and tools, anyone can reach their full potential whether it's on the Strictly dancefloor, education, or in everyday life. Absolutely thrilled for Chris and Diane! ".
