Stephen Bailey

Fabulously Funny’ (The Guardian) star of Live at the Apollo (BBC), Would I Lie to You? (BBC), The Madame Blanc Mysteries (Channel 5), and many more, Stephen Bailey returns to the stage following the huge success of his sold-out 2024 tour with a brand-new live show.

Described as ‘a rising star’ (The Sun), Stephen has appeared on just about every light entertainment show and come second on nearly every celebrity quiz show, where audiences have warmed to his sweet nature and fruity humour. But it wasn’t always this way. Born on one of the roughest estates in Manchester, where money and opportunity were scarce, getting a job trumped getting an education, and dreams of breaking into the predominantly middle-class arts sector were often met with the advice to “know your place”.

Growing up reliant on food banks, with a school that was burnt down three times, and facing setback after setback in one of the most deprived boroughs in the UK, Stephen always found his council estate roots to be a struggle.

Fuelled by equal parts delusion of grandeur and sheer tenacity and raised in a family whose motto was “If we didn’t laugh, we’d cry” he set his sights on shedding his social housing beginnings and becoming middle class, chasing the access and opportunity that came with it. So, he decided to move to London and follow his dreams. That’s when his dad called him a tart.

Ten years later, Stephen has moved back home, not out of necessity, but by choice and has come to realise that everything he ever wanted, he had all along. His latest offering, Tart, is a show about community, rediscovering yourself in your 30s, and ultimately, coming home. After all, Dorothy said it best: “There’s no place like home.”

Brassy, sassy and always classy – the perfect ingredients for a proper Tart.

Tour support for Katherine Ryan, Lucy Beaumont, Jason Manford and Micky Flanagan.