Strictly’s Bill Bailey wants Nevermind The Buzzcocks to return

Bill Bailey has revealed he would love to see pop music panel show Nevermind The Buzzcocks return to TV.

The Strictly Come Dancing winner, 55, was a panellist on the BBC show from series 11 to 21, with the show having 28 series altogether from 1996 to 2015.

Speaking to The Mirror, Bill thinks there’s plenty of room in the current TV landscape for the show to make a comeback.

Comeback: Bill Bailey (right) has revealed he would love to see pop music panel show Nevermind The Buzzcocks return to TV

He said: ‘I don’t think there is a show that’s similar now. I don’t think there is anything that’s replaced it. It’s not like they’ve given it a reboot and changed the format.

‘Sometimes people would get a little bit riled up, but, I mean, that was the nature of the show.

‘It was some of the best fun I’ve ever had on television. I mean, those records would go on for two hours sometimes.’

The comedian added that what viewers saw on screen was ‘just a fraction’ of the mayhem that went on.

Show: The Strictly Come Dancing winner, 55, was a panellist on the show from series 11 to 21, with the show having 28 series altogether from 1996 to 2015

Show: The Strictly Come Dancing winner, 55, was a panellist on the show from series 11 to 21, with the show having 28 series altogether from 1996 to 2015

Bill explained guests would sometimes be nervous to come on the show but he and the other stars would simply advise them to be themselves and look like they were having fun.

Nevermind The Buzzcocks was originally hosted by Mark Lamarr, followed by Simon Amstell and several guest presenters before Rhod Gilbert presented the final series. 

It comes after Bill was crowned the winner of this year’s series of Strictly Come Dancing with Oti Mabuse, becoming the oldest person to ever win the show.

The TV star recently told how his momentous win was clouded with a tinge of sadness, as he thought of his late mother. 

He said: 'I don't think there is a show that's similar now. I don't think there is anything that's replaced it. It's not like they've given it a reboot and changed the format'

He said: ‘I don’t think there is a show that’s similar now. I don’t think there is anything that’s replaced it. It’s not like they’ve given it a reboot and changed the format’

The comedian scooped the BBC ballroom show’s coveted glitterball but revealed that his mind was on his beloved mother Madryn, who he lost to bowel cancer back in 2005.

Writing about his moment of victory in The Telegraph, he said: ‘When Tess called out our names as winners, I felt a mix of emotions. Elation, utter joy, excitement… and delight for Oti in making a bit of Strictly history.

‘But also a little bit of sadness, as I thought of my mum and how she’s not around to share this moment, knowing how proud she would have been.’

His preparations for the grand finale were also affected by the news that much of England was hours away from being plunged into a Tier 4 lockdown, amid rising novel coronavirus cases and reports of a new strain. 

Success: It comes after Bill was crowned the winner of this year's series of Strictly Come Dancing with Oti Mabuse, becoming the oldest person to ever win the show.

Success: It comes after Bill was crowned the winner of this year’s series of Strictly Come Dancing with Oti Mabuse, becoming the oldest person to ever win the show.

With his concerns then switching to his father having to spend Christmas alone under the new restrictions, the star said that he was inspired to make his rousing ‘show must go on’ speech to the audience.

He wrote: ‘During the costume change for our Showdance to a classic Queen track, we heard the news about the stricter lockdown rules that would mean families would be apart at Christmas.

‘I thought of my own father, who has been isolating at home, and realising we would not be able to see him over Christmas. This was uppermost in my mind when I spoke about The Show Must Go On now taking on the meaning of an anthem of hope, to try to stay positive, to get through this.’ 

Bill recently made an appearance on ITV’s Lorraine, where he spoke with fellow Strictly star Ranvir Singh about missing his family while on the show.

Candid chat: Bill recently made an appearance on ITV's Lorraine, where he spoke with fellow Strictly star Ranvir Singh about missing his family while on the show

Candid chat: Bill recently made an appearance on ITV’s Lorraine, where he spoke with fellow Strictly star Ranvir Singh about missing his family while on the show

Bill, who had to isolate away from his wife Kristin and their teen son Dax while competing, said of the show coming to an end: ‘It was quite emotional anyway as it was going to be the last time we were dancing.

‘But it did make me think of my mum, firstly, because my mum died 15 years ago and I did think about her a lot on the day. She loved ballroom dancing. In fact, she wanted me to take it up when I was a kid.

‘She got me to take a couple of lessons when I was a teenager but of course, I was a teenager and I thought, “I don’t want to do ballroom dancing”. But I know she would have been so proud. This would have been her proudest moment.

‘It also made me think of my dad as we heard during the day about the new restrictions and about the fact that my dad who has been on his own isolating since March, we were looking forward to seeing him at Christmas and then we thought “Oh no, we can’t do that now and he’s going to be on his own.”

‘So there was a lot of that going on as well… it almost made me want to give more in the performance, in a way.’

Ballroom fan: Bill revealed that his mother, who he lost to cancer back in 2005, was a huge ballroom fan who even sent him to dance lessons when he was a teenager

Ballroom fan: Bill revealed that his mother, who he lost to cancer back in 2005, was a huge ballroom fan who even sent him to dance lessons when he was a teenager