Strictly Come Dancing champ Chris McCausland has a habit that he's not proud of – one that he shares with his professional dance partner, Dianne Buswell
Dancers' feet can take a lot of punishment, and so they pick up plenty of little injuries, from blisters and calluses; to more serious problems like bunions, stress fractures, and nerve damage. Some of the injuries can be self-inflicted, Strictly's Dianne Buswell admits.
Speaking on her Winning Isn't Everything podcast with co-host Chris McCausland, Dianne confessed that she sometimes bites her toenails, and occasionally goes a little too far. Chris said he was very "embarrassed" about the fact that he bites his nails, but explained he can't help it because he's "an anxiety-ridden wreck".
Chris added that, unlike Dianne, he couldn't get his feet anywhere near his mouth. He said that biting any nails carries a considerable risk: "Has there ever been a smaller injury to a human that causes so much more immobilisation and pain?" he said.
Chris admitted that he's always been a nail-biter: "I've bitten and I've picked them since I was a kid, and it drives me insane."
He said he "really tried" to control the habit when he was appearing in Strictly Come Dancing, admitting: "I get really self-conscious about it, and I get really embarrassed, because they're out on show."
Luckily, Chris added, his stress levels were relatively under control during his Strictly run: 'Weirdly, for something that was so stressful, I was actually comparatively good compared to what I am normally, because I am an anxiety-ridden wreck."
Chris described himself as having a "neurodiverse" obsessive personality: "I'm a picker, I'm a fiddler, I'm a biter," he said.
Dianne says that, while she's prone to nail-biting herself, she would often "slap Chris's hand away" if she saw him doing the same thing, because she knows how easy it is to hurt yourself.
Dentists warn that biting your nails can be harmful. The constant pressure and friction can lead to chipped, cracked, or worn teeth, and in extreme cases, even tooth loss.
To make matters worse, bacteria can lurk beneath fingernails, and so nail-biters run the risk of picking up little infections with every bite.
Chris and Dianne have a lot more in common than their nail-biting habit. They have remained close friends since they lifted the Glitterball Trophy at the end of Strictly's 22nd series in 2024.
It was Dianne's first winning season, and she says she "gives thanks" every day for being teamed with Chris.
![Nate Confronts Audra About [Spoiler] – Plus Diane Is Stunned by Jack's Shocking Words!](https://i-1.cybergalleria.com/uploads/images/tinymce-uploads/20250308/Betterimage_ai_1741398722526-1741398735-q80.webp "Nate Confronts Audra About [Spoiler] – Plus Diane Is Stunned by Jack's Shocking Words!")
