Speaking in the video ahead of his performance, Chris revealed that he was actually asked to appear on the show in multiple previous years, but that he had always been "too scared" to do so.
He said: "You've got to do things haven't you? If there's something that's scary, what is the worst that can happen? I came into this thinking it could be a bit of a disaster. But, there we are. If I'm honest, I'm surprising myself as well as everybody else."
Chris went on to explain that he had been "asked to do Strictly a few times and I said no because I was scared of it, to be honest".
Chris McCausland on Strictly Come Dancing BBC
"I realised, for me to not do this is quite selfish," he explained, "because I'm lucky enough to get myself to a position where I have the opportunity to represent people.
Chris and Diane's dance was a big hit with both the studio audience and the judges, who awarded them 33 points, landing them in joint fifth place on the leaderboard, along with Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola.
Craig Revel Horwood told Chris that he really does "not know how you are doing this", while Motsi Mabuse noted that everyone outside of the show is speaking about Chris.
"It's just this message outside of the show that is so much bigger," she said.
Strictly Come Dancing airs Saturdays on BBC One and iPlayer.
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
