Strictly professional Nadiya Bychkova defends producers’ resolution to place Chris McCausland in ‘unfair and discriminatory’ Samba-thon after livid backlash

Strictly Come Dancing professional Nadiya Bychova has defended the show after Chris McCausland was put in the ‘unfair and discriminatory’ Samba-thon.

The BBC show brought back the Dance-a-thon format, where all celebrities perform the same dance simultaneously, for the first time in six years this series.

Comedian Chris, who is blind and lacks spatial awareness, was the first to be sent off the ballroom floor with his dance partner Dianne Buswell, 35, during last weekend’s Samba-thon.

Some fans felt Chris, 47, was at an unfair disadvantage and flooded social media with claims that the challenge was ‘in poor taste’. 

However, Nadiya – who was voted off in week one with Olympian partner Tom Dean – suggested spatial awareness was not needed for a samba.

‘I don’t think that’s anything to do with that,’ she said at a party hosted by Chelsea Dental Clinic & The London Laundry Club.

Strictly Come Dancing professional Nadiya Bychova has defended the show after Chris McCausland was put in the Samba-thon

Chris’ fans felt he was at an ‘unfair disadvantage’ in the Samba-thon as he is blind and lacks spatial awareness 

The comedian had to dance alongside six other couples in the challenge 

The 35-year-old added: ‘The show would never put him at a disadvantage. He blows my mind every week.’

Chris and Dianne were only awarded one point after going off the dance floor first in the Samba-thon, placing them second to bottom of the judges’ scoreboard.

Vanessa Feltz was among the viewers who raged at producers for putting Chris in the dance challenge. 

‘Was it fair to put them in this context? Was it fair, or was it just a way of giving Chris the fewest points, moving him down the leaderboard and saying without saying goodbye, sayonara, farewell?’ the former Strictly contestant told The Sun.

‘I think that that Sambathon was unfair to Chris and Diane. I did not like it as I saw it happening.

‘I thought, “This is not a level playing field here. This is not fair. This is not right.” [The producers] have introduced this. I reckon it’s because they want to say goodbye to Chris.’

Fans agreed with the TV personality, raging on X:  ‘I’m sorry but the sambathon was very discrimatory against Chris, he had no perception of where the others were and he wasn’t able to do half the moves the other couples were doing because he had to be connected to Dianne, very poor.’

‘I find it shocking they chose this year to bring back the sambathon when Chris cannot see any of the other couples/be spatially aware of other couples. Like of course he’s gonna get voted off first? Not in good taste in my opinion,’ another agreed.

Nadiya – who left in week one with Olympian Tom Dean – insisted: ‘The show would never put him at a disadvantage’

Chris and Dianne were only awarded one point after going off the dance floor first in the Samba-thon, placing them second to bottom of the judges’ scoreboard

‘Had it been an annual thing, that’s one thing… but they chose to bring it back!!! It was deliberated! Selected! Put in place! With a BLIND and very popular contestant! MAD!!!’ a third wrote.

‘Could have had money on Chris being the 1st out. Wholly unfair. The way he cheered for the 1 point, I think was his way of saying f you,’ someone else penned.

‘To be honest it was a bit of a joke as far as Chris was concerned, and it obviously didn’t bother him. He’s going to get through anyway, it’s the rest that are scrabbling for places,’ another user commented.

While Chris and Dianne struggled in the Samba-thon, they delivered a fiery Paso Doble for their solo performance which earned them 33 points.   

Chris admitted he wasn’t “filled with hope” at the thought of doing the “dreaded” Samba-thon as he discussed the challenge in his Telegraph column on Friday.

‘I didn’t enjoy the Samba when it was our turn to do it back on Hallowe’en week, so the thought of revisiting it while all seven couples were on the dance floor didn’t fill me with much hope,’ he wrote.

‘Within about 20 seconds we had collided with Montell and Johannes while I was trying to bust out one of my signature moves.’

Chris and partner Dianne Buswell earned 33 points with their fiery Paso Doble

He said he heard their names being called ‘not long after’, recalling: ‘I can only imagine they had immediate concerns about their decision to let a blind man loose with his arms and legs flailing about the place. Well, either that or my Samba was just c***, one or the other, or possibly both.’

Chris has been a comedian for over two decades and is a regular face on flagship comedy shows like Have I Got News for You, Would I Lie to You?, QI, The Last Leg, and 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown.

The TV star has also appeared on Celebrity Gogglebox alongside his pal and fellow comedian Donna Preston, as well as an episode of EastEnders.

He has his very own morning chat show The Chris McCausland Show, which debuted on ITV in June.