BBC Strictly Come Dancing's Chris McCausland addresses bullying scandal after claims he's 'saved show'

Strictly Come Dancing's Chris McCausland has spoken out about the controversy surrounding the show ahead of the current series.

The show was embroiled in controversy earlier this year after Amanda Abbington made allegations of bullying in rehearsals. Some of the complaints relating to professional Giovanni Pernice were upheld, but he was cleared of the most serious.

As a result, the show introduced chaperones in rehearsals, among other changes. However, Chris, who is the favourite to win this year's show with partner Dianne Buswell, claims he was unaware of the controversy, reports Birmingham Live.

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In an interview with The Times, Chris said: "You can't make a show like this and get away from the fact that you can look a d*** on live TV on a Saturday. So I don't want to undermine anyone's experiences, maybe people have behaved in ways they shouldn't have, I don't know, but my experience has been great."

Chris, who is the show's first blind contestant, has been a standout star alongside Dianne, with some arguing that he may have "saved" the show. His popularity has even led to a surge in ticket sales for his stand-up show, which he will return to in the new year.

Chris has reflected on his Strictly Come Dancing experience, admitting that it does attract "one or two idiots," referencing Alan Sugar's tweet: "I don't know when Strictly Come Dancing are going to run out of contestant gimmicks. I would not be surprised if they had a AI mechanical robot next year."

Responding on Twitter, Chris, 47, said: "I am sorry my gimmick offends you oh mighty Lord. #YoureTired."

Chris also disclosed his constant self-doubt during the competition in an interview with Heat magazine, stating: "No. Every time we get through I say to Dianne 'I got away with that, didn't I?'"

He expressed surprise at how well he did on the show, capturing his trepidation with the confession: "It's gone better than I thought it would, because I had no idea whether I'd be able to do it at all, which is partly my doubt and partly the fear of doing Strictly. That first episode, to say I was s******* my pants is an understatement."