Bath comedian Bill Bailey made MBE
Bailey has been named in the King's New Year Honours list for services to entertainment
Comedian Bill Bailey has been made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the King's New Year Honours list for services to entertainment.
Born Mark Robert Bailey in 1965, Bailey gained the nickname Bill at King Edward's School in Bath, where he surprised his teachers by excelling at sport.
In his youth, he spent a lot of time listening to Monty Python records and formed a band called the Famous Five.
After working with a theatre troupe, he wandered into a John Hegley gig and decided to become a stand-up comedian, later setting up a comedy club in Bath.
His big break came in 1995 when his show Bill Bailey's Cosmic Jam, which was filmed and broadcast on Channel 4, won the Edinburgh Festival Critics Award.
In 1998, he scooped his own comedy show on the BBC, Is It Bill Bailey?, and enjoyed a series of successful guest slots on shows such as Have I Got News for You.
He was one of the stars of Channel 4's double TV Bafta winning sitcom Black Books and in 2002 took over from the late Sean Hughes as team captain on BBC Two's long-running music comedy panel show Never Mind The Buzzcocks.
He has also been a regular on quiz show QI and has enjoyed acting roles in the likes of Jonathan Creek and Skins, also appearing in Doctor Who Christmas Special: The Doctor, The Widow And The Wardrobe.
His big-screen CV includes the movies Saving Grace and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy while his cameo in Hot Fuzz was hugely well-received.
He also starred in children's film Nanny McPhee And The Big Bang in 2010 and was in comedy hit Chalet Girl the following year.
In memory of his friend and fellow comedian Sean Lock, who died of cancer at the age of 58 in 2021, Bailey walked the South West Coast Path, inspired by the walks they used to do together, to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.
He continues to tour with his stand-up, selling out arenas all over the world, and has begun a separate career as a presenter of wildlife shows, indulging his passion for animals.
His most recent stand-up show, Thoughtifier, which began in 2024 and continues into 2026, merges his musical talent with his trademark whimsical and witty humour.
The comedian reached a new audience when he won BBC's Strictly Come Dancing, alongside dancer Oti Mabuse, in 2020 and Bailey said he hoped his appearance might inspire "more men of my age" to "consider maybe taking up a dance class".
In recent years, the comic has explored an interest in art, presenting shows including BBC One series Extraordinary Portraits and Sky Arts show Bill Bailey's Master Crafters: The Next Generation.
Bailey has a wife named Kristin and the pair share one son, Dax.