November 23rd 2024.
As the latest episode of Strictly Come Dancing aired, viewers couldn't help but feel that contestant Chris McCausland was at a disadvantage. The show had decided to bring back the Samba-Thon, a dance challenge where all the remaining couples had to compete at the same time. This format was a diversion from the usual routine and had previously been criticized for its chaotic nature during the Lindy-Hop-A-Thon in 2018.
The Samba-Thon offered the stars a chance to shake up the leaderboard, with top scorers receiving seven points and bottom scorers only getting one point. As the couples took to the dance floor and gave their all to the samba, one by one, they were asked to leave until only two remained and a winner was declared. However, this segment was met with widespread criticism from viewers who believed that Chris and his pro-partner Dianne Buswell were doomed from the start.
Many argued that it was unfair to put Chris in this position, especially since he is blind and has no concept of spatial awareness. The judges had also encouraged the celebrities to move around the floor, which only added to the difficulty for Chris. Viewers expressed their disappointment and even accused the show of being "not in good taste" for putting Chris through this challenge.
One user on X, thatsmypeachx, wrote, "I find it shocking they chose this year to bring back the sambathon when Chris cannot see any of the other couples/be spatially aware of other couples. Like of course he's gonna get voted off first? Not in good taste in my opinion." Missp606 also added, "Isn't it a little unfair to do a sambathon with Chris in the competition? It must impact his dancing when there's other dancers potentially entering his space."
The frustration was shared by many, including SallyBriars, who passionately wrote, "I'm sorry but the sambathon was very discriminatory against Chris, he had no perception of where the others were and he wasn't able to do half the moves the other couples were doing because he had to be connected to Dianne, very poor from @bbcstrictly." Even JackBailey2 agreed, "Can't help but feel Chris and Diane never stood a chance with the Sambathon!"
Despite the challenges, Chris and Dianne danced their hearts out, but unfortunately, they were the first couple asked to leave the floor, earning only one point and placing second to last on the judges' scoreboard. However, they took it in stride, with Chris even letting out a comical cheer and Dianne beaming as their names were called. The audience showed a lot of love and support for the duo, with many taking to X to express their annoyance at the unfairness of the challenge.
After Jamie Borthwick, Pete Wicks, Sarah Hadland, and Montell Douglas were all asked to leave, only two couples remained: JB Gill and Lauren Oakley, and Tasha Ghouri and Aljaz Skornajec. The JLS pop star JB was declared the Samba-Thon champion, with a whopping 46 points, tying him for first place with Tasha, who had achieved the first perfect score of the series. It was a night of mixed emotions for Chris and Dianne, as her parents had come all the way from Australia to watch her dance live for the first time in seven years.
Their fiery paso doble earned them 32 points and brought Dianne's parents to tears. Speaking before their performance, Chris had shared that he signed up for Strictly to do something scary, saying, "I came into this thinking, 'This could be a bit of a disaster,' but here we are. I'm surprising myself as well as everybody else." And they certainly did surprise everyone, with their unique routine that included a blackout to mimic Chris's experience as a blind person.
As the competition heats up and the finale gets closer, Chris and Dianne have become fan favorites. They continue to defy expectations and showcase their determination and talent every week. And while the BBC declined to comment on the criticism of the Samba-Thon, it is clear that Strictly fans were not impressed with the challenge. As always, the show must go on, and we can't wait to see what Chris and Dianne have in store for us next.
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