While some viewers may only know comedian Bill Bailey thanks to his winning performance on 2021's Strictly Come Dancing , the TV star has actually been on the celebrity circuit for years and recently returned to screens with a new travel show, Jungle Hero.
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Want to know more about him? Keep reading for the low-down on the comedian...
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How old is Bill Bailey?
Bill is 55 years old and hails from Bath, Somerset. He was actually named Mark by his parents but thanks to a music teacher at school, he took on the nickname Bill – which eventually became his stage name – after he played jazz song, Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey, on the guitar.
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Who is Bill Bailey's wife?
Bill has been married to his wife Kristen for 22 years. Kristen is a former costume designer but now manages her husband's business affairs. The couple met at one of his gigs back in 1987 and Bill said he was immediately attracted to her "wild spirit". They dated for ten years before spontaneously deciding to get married while travelling around Asia.
© Photo: BBCBill has surprised viewers on last year's Strictly
Does Bill Bailey have children?
Bill and Kristen share one son, Dax, 14. Revealing the inspiration behind his name to the Guardian, Bill said: "The name came from a friend of ours who married an Indonesian man.
"They had a son called Dax and we just always associated it with being in Indonesia and always said, 'If ever we have a child, that'll be in the running'." The family lives in London.
What is Bill Bailey's net worth?
According to the website Celebrity Net Worth, Bill has an estimated fortune of £5.4million!
© Photo: Getty ImagesBill and Kristen share son Dax - here pictured in 2012
Why is Bill Bailey famous?
Bill is a classically trained musician and performed with boy band The Famous Five. It wasn't until the 80s that his comedy career started and he began to perform stand-up on the circuit. He appeared in various comedy shows before landing his own TV series on the BBC in 1998 – Is It Bill Bailey?
Bill blends his musical ability into his comedy and performs musical parodies and variations on classic jokes. He has also turned his hand to acting.
What other TV shows has Bill Bailey been in?
Following the success of his own sketch show, Bill starred in Dylan Moran's sitcom Black Books, as assistant Manny Bianco. In 2002 he became a team captain on the musical quiz show Never Mind the Buzzcocks.
Bill has also had acting roles in Hot Fuzz, Skins, Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang, Chalet Girl, Doctor Who and currently stars in In the Long Run opposite Idris Elba.
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