Mark Robert "Bill" Bailey is an English musician, comedian, actor and television presenter. He is known for his role as Manny in the sitcom Black Books (2000–2004), and for his regular appearances on the panel shows Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Have I Got News for You, and QI, as well as for his stand-up comedy work. He plays a variety of musical instruments and incorporates music into his performances.
Bailey was listed by The Observer as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy in 2003. In 2007, and again in 2010, he was voted the seventh greatest stand-up comic on Channel 4's 100 Greatest Stand-Ups. He made an appearance in the film Hot Fuzz.
In 2020, he won the 18th series of the televised BBC dancing competition Strictly Come Dancing with his professional partner Oti Mabuse. Then aged 55, he is the oldest winner in the show's history as of 2024. He is a cancer fundraiser and has walked 100 miles for cancer fundraising in honour of his mother, who died in 2005, as well as raising awareness for prostate cancer through television, print, and digital ads. Bailey was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Bath on 11 July 2018. In 2024, he became a patron of the Musical Comedy Awards. He has written works including Bill Bailey's Remarkable Guide to British Birds, Bill Bailey's Remarkable Guide to Happiness, and My Animals, and Other Animals, a memoir of sorts. He has established his own webpage and offers a shop, including a list of his musical accomplishments since 1995.
