Strictly's Chris McCausland reveals he almost became a SPY after applying to MI5 'for a laugh' when his eyesight deteriorated before embarking on comedy career

Strictly Come Dancing star Chris McCausland told how he almost became a spy after losing his vision due a hereditary condition. The comedian, 47, who suffers with genetic disorder retinitis pigmentosa that causes loss of vision, made his debut on the BBC show on Saturday, where he dazzled fans with not only his dance moves but his wicked sense of humour too Before turning to comedy, Chris found himself in the running for the unlikeliest job, after having applied for the secret service 'just for a laugh' when his sight began to really decline Speaking in a resurfaced interview, the TV star noted that he did 'quite well' in the application process and even made it down to the final 30, before being let down gently due to his eyesight 'I don’t want to live in a country that would give me that job! 'I put the application in and, before you know it, I was down to the last 30 out of 3,000 before they came to their senses' However, the star told how how he was eventually declined for the role due to his visual impairment, with Chris recalling that he was glad that he wasn't given the job In a previous interview, Chris detailed how he didn't 'notice' he was going blind as he'd been doing so since he was born Chris started losing his sight 20 years ago, between the ages of 16 and 21, due to retinitis pigmentosa, a condition which according to the NHS, sees sufferers lose their sight as the light-sensing cells of the retina gradually deteriorate. Chris recently admitted being 'terrified' he'd make a fool of himself on the BBC show after becoming it's first ever blind competitor Chris admitted being nervous about signing up to appear on live TV every Saturday night, and worried how his disability would effect his performance He wrote: 'I mean, how can I possibly have confidence in my ability to do something when I can't see the entirely visual thing that I'm being asked to do?'