Bill Bailey says he was ‘slightly riled’ by ‘unflattering’ commentary about him on Strictly

Bill Bailey has confessed that he was not eager on being handled because the “novelty” act when he competed on Strictly Come Dancing in 2020.

The comic, 58, gained the BBC One competitors together with his skilled dancing accomplice Oti Mabuse. Their sensible dance to “Rapper’s Delight” was a selected spotlight in the course of the lockdown sequence.

In a evaluation of the sequence finale, Emma Bullimore wrote for The Unbiased: “The nation fell in love with the offbeat comic over the previous few weeks, as he shook off any suggestion of being a joke act.

“Working his sequinned socks off for each dance, from a Metallica-themed tango to his epic ‘Rapper’s Delight’ road dance, he proved it isn’t simply whippersnappers who can waltz.”

Bailey’s success was at odds with assumptions that he can be the present’s “subsequent Ed Balls” – the previous Labour politician made headlines in 2016 together with his extraordinary Salsa to “Gangnam Fashion”.

In a brand new interview with The Times, Bailey stated: “I was barely riled by that. There have been numerous very unflattering items in papers and magazines, and, ‘Oh Bill, this’ll be enjoyable, he’ll be out in week one or two, he’ll be the novelty one.’

“Or I’ll be the comedy one the place they gown up as varied figures, like animals, a stoat or a weasel or one thing, and get fired out of a cannon dressed as a badger.”

Presenter and singer HRVY, EastEnders star Maisie Smith and Made in Chelsea’s Jamie Laing have been the opposite finalists within the 2020 sequence.

Talking after his win on the time, Bailey stated: “It really feel surreal, it feels extraordinary, it feels fantastic. I by no means thought we’d get this far – by no means thought we’d get to the ultimate.”

Bailey additionally talked about his bond with Mabuse within the new interview, saying: “You suppose on the face of it we’d haven’t a lot in widespread. You recognize, we’re completely different ages, completely different generations, completely different upbringings, international locations, languages. However what we discovered we had in widespread was we’ve got this type of mutual respect for laborious work.

“I stated: ‘I’m fairly aggressive. I don’t wish to give a poor account of myself. If I go away the present, it gained’t be as a result of I haven’t practised, it’ll be as a result of I’m no good at it, however I’m going to offer it my all.’ She took that as a problem.”

Bailey is at the moment selling the second sequence of Extraordinary Portraits, coming quickly to BBC One, which is able to have fun the seventy fifth anniversary of the NHS.