Strictly winners' memoirs to be rush-released this autumn

Chris McCausland is publishing a memoir this autumn to take advantage of his  Strictly Come Dancing success.

He is up against a tight deadline, having only just started writing the as-yet untitled autobiography last week.  

The comic said: ‘I thought Strictly was terrifying but my book has a release date and I haven’t started writing it yet. Don’t worry, I’m going to start right now. It will be really funny, I promise.’

McCausland grew up in Liverpool and studied software engineering at Kingston University, before going into programming. But when he started losing his sight in his early 20s he worked in sales and started stand-up, coming third  in the So You Think You're Funny? new act competition in 2003.

He once revealed he had even applied for a job as a spy at MI5, getting to the final stages before it was decided his lack of sight oil; f make him unsuitable.

The book will be published by Penguin Michael Joseph, whose publishing director Rowland White told trade website The Bookseller: ‘Like the rest of country, I’ve been both gripped and incredibly moved by Chris and Dianne [Buswell]’s dazzling progress through  Strictly.  

‘What had seemed scarcely possible quickly confounded all our preconceptions and expectations. But, of course, Strictly was only the most recent chapter of Chris’s remarkable story. 

‘I can’t wait for people to read it all. It is going to be a huge pleasure and privilege for me and the whole team here at MJ to help make that happen.’

Speaking on ITV’s This Morning today, McCausland joked: ‘I haven't even done Ctrl N! I'd love to tell you what's in it but we'll wait and see".

The book has been made available to order in hardback, eBook and audiobook from Amazon.

McCausland's stand-up tour resumes in Walsall on January 17.

» Chris ​McCausland tour dates

Published: 6 Jan 2025