Ahead of his new UK tour, the comedian and musician shares his affection for the British coast, from childhood holidays in Devon to seabird spotting between shows

Interview Suzy Walker | Photography Gillian M Robertson

I have always been drawn to the British coast. There is something about seaside places that carries both memory and possibility. When I play coastal towns such as Plymouth, Blackpool or Brighton, I always hope, if I organise my time properly, that I might be able to get out for a bit of sea air, take my binoculars and look for seabirds.

There is a particular nostalgia to our seaside towns. You look at old photographs or newsreel footage of British resorts and see the masses of people who once filled those piers, promenades and beaches. You can still sense the echoes of that great heyday, but I also think many coastal towns are having a kind of renaissance. People are realising again that these are wonderful places, with beaches, fresh air, good food and plenty to do. You do not always have to get on a plane. Sometimes the adventure is just up the road.

The North Devon coast is especially important to me. Woolacombe, Saunton, Ilfracombe: those are the places of my youth. I have very fond memories of going there as a child, then taking my son and his friends to Woolacombe when they were little, with bodyboards, surfing and sand-surfing down the dunes. My dad once showed me a photograph of me at Woolacombe when I was about five or six. That felt very full circle.

More recently, after walking the South Downs Way, I ended up in Eastbourne. It has a reputation as a place from another age, but we stayed in a great hotel on the front, ate fantastic food and swam in the sea. It was glorious.

That is what I love about the British coast. It can surprise you. It can be nostalgic, bracing, funny, beautiful and quietly restorative, all at once.

See Bill on his new UK Arena Tour BILL BAILEY: VAUDEVILLEAN, 5 November – 13 December 2026; Theatre Royal Haymarket Residency, 16 December 2026 – 6 February 2027. Tickets are on sale now.

For more information, visit BillBailey.co.uk.