Big Fat Quiz of the Year 2024 draws criticism from Chris McCausland fans

What did you miss?

Channel 4’s annual Big Fat Quiz of the Year took a bit of a kicking on Friday, 27 December after viewers were appalled by its lack of format inclusivity.

Hosted by Jimmy Carr as usual, this year’s teams looking back at notable events from the past 12 months were Strictly Come Dancing champion and comedian Chris McCausland and Maisie Adam, Richard Ayoade and Katherine Ryan, and Rob Beckett and Judi Love.

Due to McCausland’s blindness, fans writing on social media site X believed he was left isolated by the quiz’s visual nature.

What, how and why?

Following the choosing of the team names – Angels of the North, Dirty South, and Moose and Loose – Carr invited the panellists to look at pictures of themselves from 2004, which was when Big Fat Quiz first aired.

“Chris, I looked phenomenal,” pointed out Ryan as a shot from her Hooters days appeared on screen.

Also keen to paint an impression for McCausland was Loose Women star Love, who joked: “Chris, it looks like a picture Prince Andrew would say he is photoshopped into the picture.”

He himself then revealed to the studio: “I was asked for a photo of me in 2004… now I’ll be honest with you, keeping photographs has not been a priority, so what I did was just Googled my own name and the year 2004!”

A photo of McCausland shaking the hand of Detectorists actor Mackenzie Crook was what he ended up with.

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Question rounds ensued, with corresponding images needed for the panel’s consideration.

“I thought Channel 4 was the most inclusive disability champion channel but they’re really leaving Chris McCausland out in the cold here. Far too many visual clues for him to stand a chance. So unfair. Do better!” raged one viewer on X who’d seen enough.

Somebody tweeted in response: “They might have done, but if they did it hasn’t been communicated with the audience. I’m really surprised at C4, I thought they were better than that. It seems very odd.”

The online drubbing continued…

On the flipside, this was another viewer’s position on the subject: “Why is everyone so sure the producers didn’t offer any accessibility adjustments to Chris. Maybe he didn’t want them & it’s not something they would need to disclose. Stop making him a victim to justify your outrage about something that might not even be true.”

What has McCausland said about his blindness?

McCausland’s sight was completely lost by the age of 22 thanks to the hereditary condition known as retinitis pigmentosa.

Speaking to The i Paper last year, he shared: “My grandmother had it, and my mum. Basically, I’d been going blind very slowly since I was born, and so didn’t even really notice it happening – like the frog in the pan of boiling water.”

Apparently he’s comfortable with the almost inevitable day-to-day accidents too.

“I’m much more accepting of who I am these days – I’ve stopped having tantrums every time I spill drinks or bang my head on the door frame,” said McCausland, whilst conceding that he’d consider a “miracle cure” if one was to ever materialise.

Big Fat Quiz of the Year 2024 is now streaming on Channel 4OD.

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