CHRIS McCausland is making history by becoming the first blind celeb to take to the floor on Strictly Come Dancing.
Here is what we know about the comedian’s rarely-seen wife Patricia.
He is the first blind celeb to dance on Strictly[/caption]
Chris McCausland is married to Patricia, who prefers to keep away from the public spotlight.
He lives with retinitis pigmentosa — a condition that impairs vision in low-light conditions.
Chris’s struggles with retinitis pigmentosa
His eyesight has steadily deteriorated throughout his life, and he lost most of his vision during his late teens.
Speaking about the onset of the condition, Chris said: “When it started happening, it was scary and embarrassing.
“I found myself in difficult situations because I was reluctant to ask for help.
“I knew I would never be on a level playing field with everyone else.
“My eyesight deteriorated significantly while I was at university, and the technology available at that time wasn’t advanced enough, so I had to abandon my career path in web development.”
On how much he can still see, Chris told Disability Horizons: “I am sure that my sight is still deteriorating at the rate it always has, but it has long passed the point where I notice any difference.
“A load of blurry lights is much the same as a load more of blurry lights.”
Chris’s comedy and his family
The funnyman often mentions his family in his comedy routines, but keeps his personal life relatively private.
Patricia is comfortable with Chris sharing stories about their family in his comedy, as long as they are not too embarrassing.
Chris said: “[Patricia] has been to many [of my comedy] shows, but not in quite some time.
“She is very happy for me to talk about her on stage, just so long as I don’t mention anything too embarrassing.
“I suppose that because she doesn’t come along to watch every show, I can say what I want really, just not on the telly.”
Chris and Patricia’s relationship timeline
Chris and Patricia have been together since 2008.
In 2012, they tied the knot, solidifying their bond.
Their engagement story is a memorable one — Chris proposed to Patricia during a Pearl Jam concert at Hyde Park.
They have been together for 16 years, building a life that balances Chris’s public career with Patricia’s preference for privacy.
Parenting their daughter Sophie
Chris and Sophie have one child together — a daughter named Sophie.
Speaking about being a blind parent, Chris said: “My wife is sighted, so that helps a lot.
“I can’t imagine how difficult being a mum must be if you are blind, or how difficult it must be if both parents are blind.
“My daughter really gets that I am blind and is very helpful.
“She will also sit through a film with audio description on, even though I know that it drives her a bit mad.
“I mean, it drives me a bit mad too as it tells you way more information than you need to know!”
