Comedian Chris McCausland is set to deliver Channel 4’s 2024 Alternative Christmas Message, calling for an end to discrimination against disabled people.
Earlier this month, the 47-year-old TV star made history as the first blind person to win the popular BBC One competition series Strictly Come Dancing.
In his alternative speech to the King’s annual televised address, he will speak about his victory and say that disabled individuals are “often some of the most resilient, creative and determined people you will ever likely meet”. The comic will kick off by apologising to viewers for being caught “with a mouthful of mince pie”, before using his fondness for the festive treat as a metaphor for equality.
“I don’t care if they’re the posh ones or the cheap ones, I don’t care if they’re the big ones or those tiny little dinky ones, whether it’s got a solid top or a lattice crown,” he declares. “I will never discriminate against any sort of mince pie, all of them are equal to me and will no doubt meet the same undignified end as I try and fit it all in my mouth in one go.”
He will then add: “Discrimination is never a good thing. Well, I mean sometimes I suppose. Many, many years ago before I got into comedy, I applied to be a spy for MI5.
“I got down to the last 30 out of 3,000 applicants. The top 1% of potential spies that this country had to offer before they decided no, a blind spy wasn’t what they were looking for but, you know, I think they had a point.
“I think sometimes discrimination can be vital for the safety of the nation but usually, we can do better.”
The Government has reported that in the second quarter of 2024, the disability employment rate in the UK was 53%, compared to 81.6% for non-disabled people. McCausland will comment on these statistics, saying: “Is that discrimination? Well, I would argue it is, so let’s try and fix it eh? I think the Government can commit to something better than what they already do.”
He will also highlight the importance of Access To Work, a Government service providing workplace support and access technology for disabled individuals, stating: “It is wonderful that it exists, but I believe it’s under resourced.
“I’ve heard too many stories of disabled people securing employment, to then only have to wait far too long to obtain the support that they need.”
McCausland will argue that the waiting period for Access To Work, a Government scheme assisting those with health conditions into employment, “needs to be shorter”.
“Delays to this service strip away our confidence, our dignity, and our purpose in the workplace and I think, probably, also risk an employer’s desire to recruit anybody else in the future who may require adjustments.
“Disabled people are often some of the most resilient, creative and determined people you will ever likely meet.
“We have to be in daily life and that makes us valuable people to have on the team. We can even win national dance competitions, just saying.”
(Image: PA Media)
McCausland will assert that “disability is everywhere” and declare: “There are only really two types of people in this world. Those of us that are disabled, and those of us that aren’t disabled… yet.”
He will raise a glass to say “Merry Christmas” and urge viewers to “treat everyone equally, the way I do my mince pies”. Since its first broadcast in 1993, Channel 4’s annual Alternative Christmas Message has offered a counterpoint to the monarch’s traditional Christmas Day speech, reflecting on the year’s events.
The message has historically been presented by an eclectic mix of figures, including Iran’s ex-president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, entertainer Stephen Fry, whistleblower Edward Snowden, former House of Commons Speaker John Bercow, and actor Danny Dyer. In 2022, the address was given by one of the planet’s most sophisticated robots, using a script created by artificial intelligence.
McCausland’s Alternative Christmas Message is scheduled for broadcast on Channel 4 at 4.50pm on Christmas Day.
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View news Source: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/tv/chris-mccausland-address-discrimination-channel-30644018
