There are many things Bill Bailey is known for - his musical comedy, stellar acting, glowing stand-up career, and famously winning Strictly Come Dancing in 2020.
But being rescued from a pulpit in a Glasgow church? Now, that's news to us.
Speaking to the Glasgow Times, the 58-year-old comedian was able to look back on the moment and laugh.
He said: "I've played in all manner of places in Glasgow and I ended up playing a church in the city once.
“It was a few years ago and I was feeling adventurous and said to the crowd, 'I reckon I can climb that pulpit'.
“I don’t know what possessed me to do that, I think I just had adrenaline from the performance and of course, the audience was like 'do it, do it'.
“I climbed up and realised there was no way down as the pulpit was under construction so they had taken the steps away.
“They had to bring a ladder to get me - it ended up being really humiliating."
Bill will be back in the city on February 16 and 25, 2024 as part of his upcoming Thoughtifier Tour.
Having revealed that he lived in the city for a few months when filming Is It Bill Bailey?, the star certainly cannot wait to return - and this time, no pulpits will be harmed in the making.
He said: “I’ve got a long-held fondness for Glasgow.
"When I first started out doing comedy and stand-up many years ago, I did a TV show (Is It Bill Bailey), and it was in Glasgow.
“We basically lived there for three or four months and I loved being in Glasgow. I got to film in a lot of locations in the city.
"I sort of associate the city with the beginning of my career. I have a lot of happy memories from being there."
As an honorary Glaswegian, what spots did Bill Bailey like to frequent in the city then?
"We’d go to Mother India for curry, and the (Ubiquitous) Chip a lot," he said.
He continued: "We also went to Cafe Gandolfi quite a bit, too.
“I loved driving out of the city as well and playing golf. I guess things have changed a bit since then as this was years ago, but I hope those places are still around."
The upcoming shows - which will be held at the SECC - will be an interactive experience filled with "more music than ever before" and...lasers?
Bill explained: "I've tried to embrace a lot of new tech on this tour.
“I’ve got a digital laser harp which is something I’ve been meaning to incorporate for many years and I’ve now, finally, got round to doing it.
“There’s also a bit of AI in the show as well and I'm hoping to have an opera singer with me.
"There will be a lot of music in this tour - probably more so than any other I’ve done before - and I'll be recollecting touring and my own life experiences.
"I'm also running through the idea of thought - what was the first human thought? How has it evolved? It's an interactive show and I love that - it keeps it fun for me."
The new tour follows the comedian's Strictly Come Dancing win back in 2020.
Speaking on the experience, Bill said: "It's tough going. You're dancing all day, every day, week in and week out. It takes a great toll on the body.
"It's a lot of glitz, glamour and fun, but there's a lot of graft that goes into it.
"I remember getting to the final and everyone was just knackered. We all just thought 'right, c'mon, one final push'."
Bill became the oldest-ever winner of Strictly Come Dancing at 55 years old.
Tickets for the Thoughtifier tour are now on sale and can be purchased HERE
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel