Strictly’s Bill Bailey isn’t actually called Bill – but teacher renamed him as joke
Bill Bailey is partnered with Oti Mabuse on this year’s Strictly Come Dancing, and fans are loving his energetic routines
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When Bill Bailey made his Strictly Come Dancing debut, he didn’t just impress the judges with his Cha Cha.
He also played the drums and keyboard during his performance – and fans loved it.
The comedian is expected to be a viewers favourite on this year’s show after his energy-filled first dance left people eager to see what he’ll offer this week.
But what many fans don’t know is that Bill’s name isn’t actually Bill – it’s Mark.
And he didn’t just change it when he entered the celebrity world, which is what many stars do in order to have a more memorable name, and his nickname was actually picked out for him by a teacher – and it stuck.
Speaking on Desert Island Discs, Bill (or Mark) explains: “I ended up as Bill because I had a geography teacher at school who decided this was my nickname.
“It was because of the song, the classic Won’t You Come Home Bill Bailey.
“I just got stuck with his name, Bill Bailey.”
Bill was very academic at school and always cleaned up with it came to the annual prize giving days.
He tells the programme: “Say there were 12 subjects, I would win nine of them.
“That went on for the first three years of senior school.
“I found it very easy, it sounds arrogant to say so, but that was the truth of it.
“I did find it easy.”
However, after the first three years he stopped trying as hard and started to focus on music and playing in bands – to the frustration of his teachers and parents.
“[My parents] didn’t quite know what to do, but they were very understanding and they were very supportive
They perhaps thought it was better off to let me do what they wanted to do, I think they were quite liberal in that regard.”
Bill, who will be dancing the quickstep this week with his professional partner Oti Mabuse, signed up for the show because he wanted to leave his comfort zone and learn a new skill, but admits he underestimated the toll it would take on his body, particularly his arms which he now can barely use.
Speaking about their next dance on Zoe Ball’s spin off show It Takes Two, Bill said: “There is an animal theme, it’s a Dr Dootlittle vibe going on.
“So there will be some animals featuring in the dance, I don’t know what form, at this stage.
“Dancing, we will be dancing around them, and there will be an animal vibe to it.
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