Bill Bailey shares moving memory of late friend Sean Lock

Popular comedian died in 2021 from lung cancer

Bill Bailey has reflected on one of the things he learnt from his late friend and fellow comedian, Sean Lock.

The pair were close, and Bailey stayed in touch with Lock in the final months of his life, after he was diagnosed with lung cancer.

The 8 Out of 10 Cats star, who kept his illness private, died aged 59 in August 2021. Bailey frequently talks about his friend in interviews, and also paid tribute to him during a Stand Up to Cancer special last year.

In an interview with The Times for the publication’s “What I’ve Learnt” column, the British comic recalled one of the moving traditions he shared with his friend.

“My dear friend, the late Sean Lock, made me realise the power of walking,” the Strictly Come Dancing champion said. “We used to walk for miles. We had a book of guided walks and we’d go through them one by one, ticking them off as we went.

“We’d do one every other week and pass the time by speaking about everything and confiding in each other. Walking is much better than sitting down in front of someone, especially if you need to have an intense conversation.”

Bailey previously shared fond memories of his long walks with Lock last year, adding that they used to bring a picnic to enjoy along the way.

Bill Bailey and Sean Lock were close friends (Getty)

A year after Lock’s death, he participated in a charity walk that raised more than £100,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support.

His new show, Perfect Pub Walks with Bill Bailey, appears to have been inspired in part by his time with Lock.

The comedian was best known for being the team captain on Channel 4 series 8 Out of 10 Cats, presented by Jimmy Carr, for 10 years from 2005 until 2016.

Lock was also team captain alongside Jon Richardson on spin-off 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown.

In the same Times interview, Bailey spoke about how he wished that men were more proactive when talking about their health and emotions.

“We think it’ll be fine; it’ll go away; I’ll walk it off,” he said. “We have to be more proactive about looking after ourselves. A lot of men feel they don’t want to be a bother. I’m a big advocate of blokes talking openly about their feelings.”

Perfect Pub Walks with Bill Bailey airs on Tuesdays at 9pm on More4.