Mark Robert Bailey, known by his stage name Bill Bailey, is an English comedian, musician and actor. Bailey is known for his role in Black Books and for his appearances on Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Have I Got News for You and QI, as well as his stand-up work.
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.
Bailey performed a show at the 2006 Edinburgh Festival Fringe entitled Steampunk.
Bailey appeared at the 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 films, after his stand-up routine mentioned auditioning for Gimli in 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 in New Zealand where the film was in pre-production, that he would be able to audition.
Dandelion Mind was released on DVD on 22 November 2010.
In 2012, his world tour was entitled Qualmpeddler, which toured England 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.