Editing Bill Bailey (section)

==Career==

===Early stand-up===
Bailey began touring the country with comedians such as [[Mark Lamarr]]. In 1984, he formed a double act, the Rubber Bishops, with [[Toby Longworth]] (a fellow former pupil at King Edward's, Bath). It was there that Bailey began developing his own style, mixing in musical [[parody|parodies]] with [[deconstruction]]s of or variations on traditional jokes ("How many [[Amoeba (genus)|amoebas]] does it take [[Lightbulb joke|to change a lightbulb]]? One, no two! No four! No eight...").  Longworth left to join the [[Royal Shakespeare Company]] (RSC) in 1989 and was replaced by Martin Stubbs.

Stubbs later quit to pursue a more serious career, and in 1994 Bailey performed ''Rock'' at the [[Edinburgh Festival Fringe]] with [[Sean Lock]], a show about an ageing rockstar and his [[Road crew|roadie]], script-edited by comedy writer Jim Miller. It was later serialised for the [[Mark Radcliffe (radio broadcaster)|Mark Radcliffe]] show on [[BBC Radio 1]]. The show's attendances were not impressive and on one occasion the only person in the audience was comedian [[Dominic Holland]]. Bailey almost gave up comedy to take up a [[Telemarketing|telesales]] job.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/features/bill-bailey-for-whom-the-bill-toils-6157771.html| archive-url=https://archive.today/20130420113731/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/features/bill-bailey-for-whom-the-bill-toils-6157771.html| url-status=dead| archive-date=20 April 2013|location=London|work=The Independent|title=Bill Bailey: For whom the Bill toils|date=18 November 2004}}</ref>

He went solo the next year with the one-man show ''Bill Bailey's Cosmic Jam''. The show led to a recording at the [[Bloomsbury Theatre]] in London, which was broadcast in 1997 on [[Channel 4]] as a one-hour special called ''Bill Bailey Live''. It was not until 2005 that this was released on DVD uncut and under its original title. It marked the first time that Bailey had been able to tie together his music and [[Postmodernism|post-modern]] [[joke|gags]] with the whimsical rambling style he is now known for.

After supporting [[Donna McPhail]] in 1995 and winning a ''[[Time Out (company)|Time Out]]'' award, he returned to [[Edinburgh]] in 1996 with a show that was nominated for the [[Edinburgh Comedy Awards|Perrier Comedy Award]]. Amongst the other nominees was future ''[[Black Books]]'' co-star [[Dylan Moran]], who narrowly beat him in the closest vote in the award's history.

Bailey won the Best Live Stand-Up award at the [[British Comedy Awards]] in 1999.

===Television===
Although he did not win the [[Edinburgh Comedy Awards|Perrier Comedy Awards]] in 1996, the nomination was enough to get him noticed. In 1998, the BBC gave him his own television show, ''[[Is It Bill Bailey?]]''. Bailey's television debut had been on the children's show ''[[Motormouth]]'' in the late 1980s&nbsp;– playing piano for a mind-reading dog. Bailey reminisced about the experience on the BBC show ''[[Room 101 (British TV series)|Room 101]]'' with [[Paul Merton]] in 2000. In 1991, he was appearing in stand-up shows such as ''The Happening'', ''Packing Them In'', ''The Stand Up Show'' and ''The Comedy Store''. He also appeared as captain on two [[panel game]]s, an [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] music quiz pilot called ''Pop Dogs'', and the Channel 4 science fiction quiz show ''[[Space Cadets (game show)|Space Cadets]]''. ''Is it Bill Bailey?'' was the first time he had written and presented his own show.

Over the next few years, Bailey made guest appearances on shows such as ''[[Have I Got News for You]]'', ''World Cup Comedy'', ''[[Room 101 (British TV series)|Room 101]]'', ''[[Des O'Connor]] Tonight'', ''Coast to Coast'' and three episodes of off-beat Channel 4 sitcom ''[[Spaced]]'', in which he played comic-shop manager Bilbo Bagshot. In 1998, [[Dylan Moran]] approached him with the pilot script for ''[[Black Books]]'', a Channel 4 sitcom about a cold-hearted bookshop owner, his nice-guy assistant, and their socially awkward female friend. It was commissioned in 2000, and Bailey took the part of the assistant [[Manny Bianco]], with Moran playing the owner Bernard and [[Tamsin Greig]] the friend, Fran. Three series of six episodes each were made.

When [[Sean Hughes (comedian)|Sean Hughes]] left his long-term role as a team captain on ''[[Never Mind the Buzzcocks]]'' in 2002, Bailey became his successor. Host [[Mark Lamarr]] continually teased him about his looks and his pre-occupation with woodland animals. On 18 September 2008, it was announced that Bailey would leave the series and be replaced by a series of guest captains including [[Jack Dee]] and [[Dermot O'Leary]].<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7623854.stm|work=BBC News|title=Bailey says goodbye to Buzzcocks|date=18 September 2008|access-date=18 July 2012}}</ref> While touring in 2009, Bailey joked that the main reason for leaving the show was a lack of desire to continue humming [[Britney Spears]]' ''[[Toxic (song)|Toxic]]'' to little known figures in the [[Independent music|indie music]] scene. During this time he also left his position as "curator" of ''[[the Museum of Curiosity]]'', and declared his intention to "retire" from panel games, although he has since appeared on ''QI'' many more times and hosted ''Have I Got News For You''.

Bailey has appeared frequently on the intellectual panel game ''[[QI]]'' since it began in 2003, alongside host [[Stephen Fry]] and regular panellist [[Alan Davies]]; he was the winner of the show's unaired pilot episode. Other television appearances include a cameo role in Alan Davies' drama series ''[[Jonathan Creek]]'' as failing street [[Magic (illusion)|magician]] Kenny Starkiss and obsessed guitar teacher in the "Holiday" episode of Sean Lock's ''[[15 Storeys High|Fifteen Storeys High]]''. He later appeared with Lock again as a guest on his show ''[[TV Heaven, Telly Hell]]''. He appeared twice on ''[[Friday Night with Jonathan Ross]]''. Bailey also hosted his own show ''[[Comic's Choice]]'', which aired in 2011.

Bailey presented ''Wild Thing I Love You'', which began on [[Channel 4]] on 15 October 2006. The series concentrates on the protection of Britain's wild animals, and has included re-homing [[Eurasian badger|badgers]], [[owl]]s and [[European Water Vole|water voles]].

Bailey appeared in the second series of the E4 teenage "dramedy" ''[[Skins (British TV series)|Skins]]'' playing Maxxie's dad, Walter Oliver. In episode 1, Walter struggles with his son's desire to be a dancer, instead wishing him to become a builder, which is what he himself does for a living. Walter is married to Jackie, played by [[Fiona Allen]].

Bailey appeared on the first episode of ''[[Grand Designs|Grand Designs Live]]'' on 4 May 2008, helping [[Kevin McCloud]] build his eco-friendly home. In 2009, Bailey appeared in the BBC show ''[[Hustle (TV series)|Hustle]]'' as the character "Cyclops", a side-line character. In autumn 2009, Bailey presented ''[[Bill Bailey's Birdwatching Bonanza]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bill Bailey's Birdwatching Bonanza|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1582688/|publisher=IMDb|access-date=7 October 2012}}</ref>

Continuing his foray into [[natural history]], Bailey presented [[ITV1]]'s half-hour wildlife mini-series ''Baboons With Bill Bailey''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.billbailey.co.uk/latestnews/2011/04/something-hairys-on-the-telly-tonight-also-features-baboons/|title=Something hairy's on the telly tonight! Also features baboons|publisher=Bill Bailey|date=8 April 2011|access-date=26 August 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111001234602/http://www.billbailey.co.uk/latestnews/2011/04/something-hairys-on-the-telly-tonight-also-features-baboons/|archive-date=1 October 2011|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The series was filmed in [[Cape Town]] and spanned eight episodes, with exclusive content available on itvWILD.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.itvwild.com/tvshows/baboons-with-bill-bailey|title=ITV&nbsp;– Baboons with Bill Bailey|publisher=itvWILD|access-date=26 August 2011}}</ref>

Bill Bailey played Droxil, a Harvest Ranger from the Planet Androzani Major, in the 2011 Christmas Special of ''[[Doctor Who]]'', titled ''[[The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe]]''.

In 2009, Bailey presented a project about the explorer and naturalist [[Alfred Russel Wallace]], in the form of an Indonesian travelogue.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://wallacefund.info/comedian-bill-baileys-new-show-about-alfred-russel-wallace|title=Comedian Bill Bailey's new show about Alfred Russel Wallace|access-date=9 November 2010|work=The Alfred Russel Wallace Website}}</ref> Bailey said in an interview that Wallace had been "airbrushed out of history", and that he felt a "real affinity" with him. In 2013, to coincide with [[Alfred Russel Wallace centenary|the centenary of Wallace's death]], Bailey presented a two-part documentary, ''Bill Bailey's Jungle Hero'', first broadcast on [[BBC Two]] on 21 and 28 April 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0160p0s |title=Bill Bailey's Jungle Hero |publisher=BBC |date=7 June 2013 |access-date=26 May 2014}}</ref> He travelled around producing and filming the series in [[Indonesia]] and [[Borneo]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/media/s3584589.htm|website=Abc.net.au|title=ABC Triple J interview with Bill Bailey|date=June 9, 2012}}</ref>

Bailey took part in the [[Strictly Come Dancing (series 18)|eighteenth series]] of the televised dancing competition ''[[Strictly Come Dancing]]'', broadcast in late 2020. He won the competition with his partner, [[Oti Mabuse]], becoming the show's oldest winner at 55, displacing the previous oldest winner [[Joe McFadden]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2020/12/13/strictly-come-dancing-2020-semi-final-results-live-updates/|title=Strictly Come Dancing 2020, semi-final results: Ranvir Singh waltzes home after dance-off defeat to Jamie Laing|author=Michael Hogan|date=13 December 2020|website=The Telegraph|access-date=14 December 2020}}</ref> Their win made Mabuse the first dancer to receive the title two years in a row.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Morgan|first=Lucy|date=2020-12-21|title=Oti Mabuse shared the sweetest tribute to her husband after Strictly Come Dancing win|url=https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/entertainment/a35028343/oti-mabuse-husband-strictly-win/|access-date=2020-12-22|website=Cosmopolitan|language=en-GB}}</ref>

Bailey voiced Grandfather Smed in the 2022 short film ''[[The Smeds and the Smoos]]''. <ref>{{Cite web |date=May 16, 2022 |title=Bill Bailey joins The Smeds and The Smoos |url=https://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2022/05/16/50796/bill_bailey_joins_the_smeds_and_the_smoos |website=Chortle}}</ref>

===International tours===
In 2001, Bailey began touring the globe with ''Bewilderness''. A recording of a performance in [[Swansea]] was released on DVD the same year, and the show was broadcast on Channel 4 that Christmas. A modified version of it also proved successful in America, and in 2002 Bailey released a CD of a recording at the WestBeth Theatre in New York City. The show contained his popular music parodies (such as Unisex Chip Shop, a [[Billy Bragg]] tribute, which he also performed with Bragg himself at the 2005 [[Glastonbury Festival]]), "three men in a pub" jokes (including one in the style of [[Geoffrey Chaucer]]) and deconstructions of television themes such as ''[[Countdown (game show)|Countdown]]'' and ''[[The Magic Roundabout]]''. A ''Bewilderness'' CD was sold outside gigs, a mixture of studio recordings of songs and monologues Bailey had performed in the past; it was later released in shops as ''Bill Bailey: The Ultimate Collection... Ever!''  That same year he also presented a Channel 4 countdown, ''Top Ten Prog Rock''.

Bailey premiered his show ''Part Troll'' at the [[2003 Edinburgh Festival Fringe]]. A critical and commercial success, he then transferred it to the West End, where tickets sold out in under 24 hours, and new dates had to be added. He continued to tour it all over the UK as well as in Australia, New Zealand and the US. Bailey expanded on subjects such as the [[Iraq War|war on Iraq]]. He also talks extensively about drugs, at one point asking the audience to name different ways of baking [[Cannabis (drug)|cannabis]]. A DVD was released in 2004.[[File:Bill Bailey - SYTYF.JPG|thumb|right|250px|Bill Bailey hosting ''[[So You Think You're Funny]]'']]His 1995 show ''Bill Bailey's Cosmic Jam''. was released in 2005. The two-disc set also contained a [[director's cut]] of ''Bewilderness'', which featured a routine on [[Stephen Hawking]]'s ''[[A Brief History of Time]]'' not seen in the original version.

Bailey performed a show at the [[2006 Edinburgh Festival Fringe]] entitled ''Steampunk''.

Bailey appeared at the [[Beautiful Days (festival)|Beautiful Days festival]] in August 2007. The UK leg of the ''Tinselworm'' tour enjoyed three sell-out nights at the [[MEN Arena]] in Manchester, Europe's largest indoor arena, and culminated with a sell-out performance at [[Wembley Arena]].

Early in 2007, a petition was started to express fans' wishes to see him cast as a dwarf in [[The Hobbit (film series)|''The Hobbit'' films]], after his stand-up routine mentioned auditioning for [[Gimli (Middle-earth)|Gimli]] in ''[[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|The Lord of the Rings]]''. The petition reached its goal in the early days of January, and was sent to the producers. It was hoped that as the ''Tinselworm'' tour took him to [[Wellington]] where the film was in pre-production, he would be able to audition.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wiredmag.co.uk/archive-feature.php?issue_id=50&feature_id=69 |title=All That Glitters |access-date=31 December 2007 |work=Wired, Croydon's listings magazine |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080104022358/http://www.wiredmag.co.uk/archive-feature.php?issue_id=50 |archive-date= 4 January 2008 }}</ref>

''Dandelion Mind'' was released on DVD on 22 November 2010.

In 2012, his world tour entitled ''Qualmpeddler'' toured the UK as well as returning to Australia and New Zealand in August and September 2012.

In September and October 2018, Bailey toured his show, ''The Earl of Whimsy'', to seven venues within New Zealand.

In December 2021, Bailey started touring his new show, ''En Route To Normal'', to venues in the United Kingdom and [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]]. In 2022 Bailey took the tour to venues in Europe, and in October to Australia.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Northover |first=Kylie |date=2022-09-22 |title='Yes, it's my fault': Did Bill Bailey really predict the pandemic? |url=https://www.theage.com.au/culture/comedy/yes-it-s-my-fault-did-bill-bailey-really-predict-the-pandemic-20220915-p5bi8h.html |access-date=2023-11-05 |website=The Age |language=en}}</ref>

===Music===
[[File:Bill-Bailey.jpg|right|thumb|Bailey in concert, 2007]]
Bailey plays numerous musical instruments, and incorporates music into his comedy. He has [[perfect pitch]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=2020-11-19|title=Bill Bailey: 'Strictly's been extraordinary! I've even surprised myself'|url=http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/nov/19/bill-bailey-strictly-come-dancing-interview|access-date=2020-11-19|website=The Guardian|language=en}}</ref> His stand-up routines often feature music 
from genres such as jazz, rock (most notably [[progressive rock|prog rock]] from the early 1970s), [[Drum and bass|drum'n'bass]], classical, and even [[theme song]]s, usually for comic value. Favourite instruments include the keyboard, guitar, [[theremin]], [[kazoo]] and [[Bongo drum|bongos]]. He also mentioned in an interview that he has achieved Grade 6 [[Clarinet]]. He was part of punk band Beergut 100,<ref name="scots">{{cite web|url=http://living.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=1484&id=1247052006|title=Looking back at a week of Fringe madness|access-date=2 January 2007|work=The Scotsman|location=UK|year=2006|author=Simon Neville}}</ref> which he founded in 1995 with comedy writer Jim Miller and also featured [[Martin Trenaman]] and Phil Whelans, with [[Kevin Eldon]] as lead singer.<ref name="eldon">{{cite web|url=http://www.notbbc.co.uk/features/15/kevin_eldon_interview.html|title=Kevin Eldon Interview|access-date=2 January 2007|publisher=notbbc.co.uk|year=2006|author=Natbat}}</ref> The band performed at the [[2006 Edinburgh Festival Fringe]].<ref name="guardian">{{cite news|url=http://arts.guardian.co.uk/edinburgh2006/story/0,,1826826,00.html|title=The essential guide to Edinburgh|access-date=2 January 2007|work=The Guardian|location=London|date=28 July 2006}}</ref> His musical routines include performing "[[The Star-Spangled Banner]]" in a minor key and performing the [[Hokey cokey|Hokey Cokey]] in the style of the electronic band Kraftwerk.<ref name=":0" />

In February 2007, Bailey appeared twice with the [[BBC Concert Orchestra]] and [[Anne Dudley]] in a show entitled ''Cosmic Shindig''. Performed in the [[Watford Colosseum#Watford Colosseum|Colosseum]] in [[Watford]] on 24 February and in the [[Queen Elizabeth Hall]] on 26 February, the show contained orchestrally accompanied versions of many of Bailey's previously performed songs, an exploration of the instruments of the orchestra and a number of new pieces of music. The Queen Elizabeth Hall performance was broadcast on [[BBC Radio 3]] on 16 March 2007 as a part of [[Comic Relief]] 2007.

Bailey had planned to put himself forward as Britain's [[Eurovision Song Contest|Eurovision]] entry in 2008, as a result of several fan petitions encouraging him to do so.<ref>{{cite web|title=Eurovision|url=http://www.billbailey.co.uk/latestnews/2007/07/eurovision/|publisher=Bill Bailey|access-date=8 October 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111026090514/http://www.billbailey.co.uk/latestnews/2007/07/eurovision/|archive-date=26 October 2011|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

In October 2008, he performed ''Bill Bailey's Remarkable Guide to the Orchestra'' at the [[Royal Albert Hall]] with the [[BBC Concert Orchestra]], conducted by [[Anne Dudley]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Bill Bailey's Remarkable Guide to the Orchestra|work=The Guardian|location=London|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2008/oct/17/comedy|access-date=20 October 2008|first=Brian|last=Logan|date=17 October 2008| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081018113223/http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2008/oct/17/comedy| archive-date= 18 October 2008 | url-status= live}}</ref>

In November 2009, he was a guest on ''[[Private Passions]]'', the biographical music discussion programme on BBC Radio 3.<ref>{{cite web|author=2 days left|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/privatepassions/|title=BBC Radio 3|publisher=BBC|access-date=26 August 2011}}</ref>

In July 2011, Bailey performed at the [[Sonisphere Festival]] in [[Knebworth]], headlining the Saturn Stage.<ref>{{cite web|last=Bhamra|first=Satvir|url=http://amplified.tv/2011/03/28/bill-bailey-to-headline-sonisphere/|title=Bill Bailey to headline Sonisphere|publisher=Amplified.tv|access-date=26 August 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120302063226/http://amplified.tv/2011/03/28/bill-bailey-to-headline-sonisphere/|archive-date=2 March 2012|df=dmy-all}}</ref> He released an album, ''In Metal'', using songs played at Sonisphere, later that year.

In June 2014, The Music House for Children announced Bailey would become their patron alongside [[Sophie Ellis-Bextor]] in celebration of their 20th anniversary.