Chris McCausland

Chris McCausland, a renowned stand-up comedian and actor, studied at RNC in the mid Nineties. In an interview with James O'Brien (watch below) he quipped: 

'I caused havoc round the small city of Hereford!' 



Born with the hereditary eye condition Retinitis Pigmentosa, Chris had relatively good sight compared to most of his peers until it deteriorated rapidly in his twenties. However, his time at RNC equipped him with the skills and confidence to thrive. At RNC, Chris excelled academically, tackling A Levels in Mathematics and Computer Science and an AS in Further Mathematics.

A pivotal figure in his education was Tim Ashmore, his Maths lecturer. As Chris himself acknowledges in an interview with Tom Walker (watch below): 

‘Tim Ashmore, a Maths lecturer at RNC, in terms of teachers was the most influential person within my education. He was wonderful and convinced me to apply to university.'



Chris eventually went on to study BSc Software Engineering at Kingston University.

A career in web development followed. However this was cut short by deteriorating eyesight, and he took on a new career in sales. It was during this time, in 2003, that he first took to the stage as a stand-up comedian.

The rest, as they say, is history. Chris is now a regular on our screens with appearances on panel shows like Would I Lie to You, Cats Does Countdown and Have I Got News for You. But he's also well known for roles such as Rudi in Me Too! and has appeared alongside fellow comedian Lee Mack in the sitcom Not Going Out. 

Chris' connection to RNC remains strong. In April 2022, he performed a benefit gig for the College's 150th anniversary at the Courtyard, raising a phenomenal £6,500. He met and interacted with students after the show. Read more here.

In 2024, Chris made history when he was announced as the first blind contestant to appear on Strictly Come Dancing. He was partnered with Australian professional dancer, Dianne Buswell.

[Paralympic blind footballer, David Clarke, took part in a group dance challenge for Strictly for Sport Relief 2014 alongside other Team GB Paralympic athletes. They danced to Katie Perry's song Firework. His dance partner was Karen Hauer.]

Diane and Chris are shown below in a promotional photograph for Strictly. They are both wearing their dance costumes - Chris in pink suit and white shirt with white trainers and Diane in a pink and orange sequinned dress with pink ostrich feathers and gold strappy stilettos.