Bill Bailey hopes his stunning Strictly victory inspires older celebrities to go for Glitterball glory.
The TV favourite silenced critics last year when, at 55, he became the dance contest’s oldest winner.
Actress Nina Wadia, 52, and actor Greg Wise, 55, are among those competing this time around.
And Bill wants them to feel they have as much chance of lifting the trophy as their younger rivals.
He told the Daily Star Sunday: “My win on Strictly showed that age is no barrier. It’s not necessarily the case that you’ll have no chance just because you’re older.
“I think it has encouraged a lot of older people that they can go on the show and not only enjoy it but actually do well on it and be taken seriously.
(Image: BBC)
“I think older contestants will now go into it thinking they have a chance.”
When Bill joined last year’s series, bookies gave him dismal odds of winning because of his age.
There were plenty of ignorant comments on social media too.
But the ageism didn’t get him down in the slightest. In fact, it gave the comedian the extra push he needed.
(Image: BBC/Guy Levy)
He said: “A lot of people wrote me off early on as the joke. They were saying, ‘He won’t last long’.
“When you start training, it’s quite a steep learning curve. There is so much to take in. It is difficult to process any kind of plan of how it might work out.
“But after two or three weeks, I was thinking, ‘Actually, I’m really enjoying this.’
“I saw that if you commit yourself to it and you put in the hours then you get more out of it. I have always been one for putting my heart and soul into something. And I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to do well and prove a point?’. I thought, ‘OK, I’d like to prove you wrong’. Part of that was what drove me to do better.”
(Image: PA)
Bill was amazed by the reaction to his win with Oti Mabuse.
Eight months on, his fans are still thrilled.
He said: “I have had so many messages from people. I had some wonderful letters from people who said it got them through the lockdown and tough times away from their families.
“They said rooting for me every Saturday night lifted their spirits – that’s amazing to hear.”
The BBC show also gave Bill a career boost, bringing him a whole new audience.
He said: “Strictly is such a popular show. So many people watch it and it has fans from all ages and all backgrounds, so you do certainly expand your fanbase.
“My fans are like that anyway. There are 10-year-olds up to 80-year-olds. But Strictly gets you in front of an even wider audience.”
You can catch Bill in action as he headlines Cabaret All Stars at Proud Embankment in the West End, London. Book at proudcabaret.com.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
