Chris McCausland said "anything can happen" with support and determination after he became the first blind contestant to win Strictly Come Dancing.
The 47-year-old comedian and partner Dianne Buswell lifted the glitterball trophy on Saturday night following a public vote, as the BBC show celebrated 20 years on screen this year.
They beat Miranda actress Sarah Hadland and partner Vito Coppola, Love Island star Tasha Ghouri and dancer Aljaz Skorjanec and JLS singer JB Gill and partner Lauren Oakley.
After being announced as the winner, McCausland said: "This is for her (Dianne) and it's for everyone out there that thought and got told they couldn’t do something.
"It just shows with opportunity and support and determination, anything can happen."
He also thanked Buswell, saying: "She deserves this so much. She’s just honestly one of the easiest people to be funny with – and unless she changes her number, she’s stuck with me."
Liverpool-born McCausland, who lost his sight completely by the age of 22 due to retinitis pigmentosa – a hereditary eye disease which causes gradual degeneration of the retina, called his triumph "astonishing".
He added that he "honestly thought I could go out in the first week or two, and I know no-one went out in the first week but I still thought I could".
This marks the first win for Buswell, who had made it to the final with social media star Joe Sugg in 2018, and Eastenders actor and model Bobby Brazier in 2023.
Source: Press Association
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