Strictly's Chris McCausland's 'rock and roll' proposal to very private wife Patricia

With Strictly Come Dancing back in all its glittering glory for its 20th season, Chris McCausland has already become a favourite among viewers for his quick wit and hilarious sense of humour.

The stand-up comedian, who is the show's first blind contestant, will be taking to the ballroom alongside Dianne Buswell, who admitted on the first live show that she is a "massive fan" of Chris and is both "excited" and "honoured" to be his partner.

Chris, who lost his eyesight at age 22 from a hereditary condition called retinitis pigmentosa, will be cheered on at home by his wife, Patrica, and their daughter, Sophie.

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Chris McCausland's private life

The 8 Out of 10 Cats star's wife prefers to keep out of the spotlight, though her LinkedIn page states that she is an Adult Social Care & Education Solicitor who trained at Liverpool John Moores University, which could be where Liverpool-born Chris first crossed paths with his wife-to-be.

Chris spoke to Disability Horizons about his and Patricia's first flush of romance. The comedian said: "My wife used to work in TV and we met very early on in my career when she was involved in making a programme about the Edinburgh Festival."

He added: "We’ve been together for 16 years now and got married in 2012 after I’d proposed during a Pearl Jam concert at Hyde Park – rock and roll!" 

In an interview with Brighton Magazine, Chris spoke of his cultural difference with Patricia, who is Brazilian, and how it is often the source of love and laughter in their home.

"As you can imagine, we are very different in terms of our culture, and our biological response to temperature," Chris mused.  "Whereas my wife will still require a winter coat in 22 degree sunshine, I struggle to function in anything warmer than about 26."

He continued: "This obviously creates a great deal of conflict when the central heating comes into question. I talk about this in [my stand-up] show, but I think there is a good chance that one of us may one day be found dead in the hallway with one arm reaching out towards the thermostat, with the other one of us having skipped the country."