BBC Strictly Come Dancing's Chris McCausland shares Dianne Buswell's hidden illness

Chris McCausland has revealed that his dance partner Dianne Buswell was battling a virus during their time on the Strictly Come Dancing. The comedian lifted the Glitterball trophy with his partner Dianne after iumpressing viewers and the judges with his incredible efforts on the dancefloor despite not being able to see due to a hereditary condition called retinitis pigmentosa.

Chris, 47, admitted that his partner Dianne had not been well during the competition as he appeared on BBC show The One Show on Friday (December 20). He was joined by pal Lee Mack as they disucssed their upcoming Christmas film Bad Tidings.

But before hosts Alex Jones and Lauren Laverne could ask about the Christmas movie, they couldn't resist discussing all things Strictly with the new champion. As footage of Chris and Dianne's performances played, Lee teased Chris about his "bold" outfit choices, particularly a white suit worn for one of their routines.

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Chris revealed: "That white suit was for the couples choice and the first time we did that Dianne had been up all night with a virus out of both ends so it was very brave to wear white the first time around."

It had earlier been revealed that Dianne was forced to miss rehearsals for one of their most celebrated routines - their Couple’s Choice to Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) by John Lennon. Dianne was forced to pull out of training due to ill health.

A source told The Sun newspaper: “Dianne wasn’t feeling very well and was sick during rehearsals on Saturday. She didn’t want to let Chris down, so rested for the afternoon and managed to pull through for the live show.”

Dianne and Chris were heavily praised for the routine, which saw Dianne being spun around on Chris's shoulders and various challenging lifts. They performed the dance, which featured a poignant moment where the stage went dark to showcase what it feels like for Chris when he is dancing, again in the final, helping them to secure the win.