STRICTLY Come Dancing’s Chris McCausland hit back at Lord Sugar after The Apprentice chief appeared to call his disability a “gimmick”.
The billionaire businessman tuned into last night’s results show but didn’t seem to be impressed with what he witnessed.
Taking aim at his BBC stablemate, he wrote on X: “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.”
Followers could only assume his reference was a cheap dig at the programme’s first blind contestant, comedian Chris.
The Liverpudlian comic seemed to think so, as he fired back: “I am sorry my gimmick offends you oh mighty Lord. #YoureTired.”
Viewers were behind Chris and rushed to criticise Sugar.
One posted: “What a nasty thing to say.”
Another said: “Gimmicks? Says the man who literally just points a finger. I hope Chris wins.”
A third fumed: “If you are referring to the show including people with disabilities, you are one disgusting being. The fact the show is increasing representation of our diverse society needs to be celebrated.”
A fourth advised: “Have you ever thought about, you know, not tweeting? ffs.”
Contestants with disabilities are celebrated on the show, and in 2021 former EastEnders actress Rose Ayling-Ellis became the first deaf person to win the Glitterball.
Her triumph proved inspirational, and this year Love Island‘s Tasha Ghouri, who wears a cochlear implant, is hoping to replicate her success.
This weekend Tasha and pro partner Aljz Skorjanec led the scoring with an incredible 39, while Chris and Dianne Buswell scored a respectable 30 that put them in seventh place.
It was Nick Knowles‘ turn to bite the bullet after an injury-plagued time in the competition.
He lost out to Shayne Ward in the dance-off with the judges unanimously voting to save the actor.
