Bill Bailey (I)

Bill Bailey's bunker: The world in chaos - video

Bill Bailey's new video series is coming to us straight from his underground bunker. In this first episode, he gets straight to the point - the world as we know it is ending. According to something he read on a website, geomagnetic reversal is going to turn everything upside down in 2012. It's going to be chaos! But why are people panic-buying trampolines?

Video - Bill Bailey: How I covered Gary Numan's Cars

Previewing his series of video blogs on the Guardian's website, comedian and musician Bill Bailey and his band perform a rendition of Gary Numan's electro-pop classic Cars. With 'appropriate' instrumentation. In French.

Bill Bailey: My family values

The comedian talks about his family.

When Rob Brydon says: "Time now for some music," you may be forgiven for thinking, as opposed to what, exactly?

It's only week two of his new chat show series and he's ­shamelessly grabbed every chance he can get to grab the mic and show off his crooning.

That No 1 Comic Relief single must have gone to his head.

But seriously, Rob, why not just apply to go on The X Factor? We won't think any less of you.

This week, his talking guest is Bill Bailey, who made a career out of combining music and comedy. One duet (yes, there's more than one) involves cowbells and Elvis. Bell-vis, anyone?

There's yet another duet with his other guest, British soul diva Beverley Knight (who's got stories about meeting the Queen and Prince) while Australian comic Celia Pacquola gets to have the stage all to herself.

Two very funny female comics in two weeks? That's one trend we do approve of.

Rob Brydon's cheerful dismantling of the chat-show format continues. After a chinwag with the audience, culminating in a couple being presented with a tin of biscuits for their anniversary, Brydon welcomes Bill Bailey. He's not plugging anything, and Brydon barely interviews him at all before moving on to musical japes: a punked-up show tune, a fantastic Elvis cover with Bailey on Swiss cowbells and, later, a massive horn. In between all that are light but likeable stand-up comic Celia Pacquola, and the persistent Beverley Knight, who has a new covers album to promote, and somehow looks just as good as she did when her first LP came out 16 years ago. Her duet with Brydon at first seems to be one of the most embarrassing TV moments of the decade, but don't worry, there's a gag coming. Finally, Knight blasts out Cuddly Toy by Roachford. Tune!

Bill Bailey's Metallica gets 100,000 hits on YouTube

A message from Bill Bailey to fellow Knebworth headliners Metallica has hit 100,000 views on YouTube.

Bill Bailey interview

Bill Bailey discusses headlining the Sonisphere festival at Knebworth House, what he thinks of modern music, why religion makes him angry and what it's like having a plant named after you.

Bill Bailey's best songs

As well as being a dazzling wit, a versatile comic actor and the world's only famous troll, Bill is also a writer of comic songs funnier than a Sam Fox-hosted awards ceremony. Here are some of his best.

In terms of reviewing QI, anyone who knows me will know that this is an easy job as far as I'm concerned, as QI is my favourite comedy show.

On Easter Monday a "VG" edition was shown, which consists mainly of old clips of the previous series and some new bits thrown in. Among the quite interesting things mentioned include the correct use of poisoned darts (whatever you do, do not do what Bill Bailey did and blow the dart straight upwards).

As this edition of QI was basically a clip show, there's not that much to say about it, except that this and the edition on Bank Holiday Monday will be the final ever episodes of QI to premier on BBC One before the series moves back to its old home on BBC Two.

For many fans, the show's move from BBC Two to the more mainstream BBC One was a mistake, with some believing that the show would be dumbed-down. Although the people behind the series claimed that the first batch of episodes were edited before the decision to move, critics claimed that show had lost its edge.

I think the move back is the best thing to do, provided they still keep broadcasting the extended "XL" editions as well. Still, I will be wishing QI goodbye from BBC One this week.

If you made a movie of Jennifer Hudson's life, critics would say it was too far-fetched to be believable.

We first spotted Jennifer in 2004, getting grief from Simon Cowell about her dress sense on season three of American Idol.

She was eliminated in seventh place in the controversial "Battle Of The Divas".

Undeterred, she went on to become the first reality show contestant to win an Oscar for her show-stopping performance in Dreamgirls and she's recently played Winnie Mandela in a new bio-pic.

But in a tragic flipside to this meteoric success, in 2008 her mother, brother and nephew were all shot dead.

Her sister's estranged husband, William Balfour, is still awaiting trial for their murders. So Graham Norton certainly won't be short of things to chat to Jennifer about on the show tonight.

Alternatively, he could just ask her how she's just lost 80lb with the help of slimming giants WeightWatchers.

Jennifer will also perform the title track from her new album I Remember Me, and she'll be joined on the Norton sofa by singer kd lang as well as musical comedian Bill Bailey.