Bill Bailey is best known for his offbeat comedy, but many may not realise that he also has a strong romantic streak.
The comedian first locked eyes with his now-wife Kristin at a comedy gig in 1987, back when she was managing a bar in Edinburgh. He was immediately drawn to her 'wild spirit', and 'distinctive style' of dress and, after a night of conversation, quickly realised they had a special connection.
Describing the impression Kristin had made on him during a 2015 interview with the Scotsman, Bill, 59, recalled: "She had a very distinctive style. She had this long brocade coat, and I realised she was a free spirit and did her own thing. We ended up chatting away, and all went to a party, and she put me up on her sofa."
Bill bought Kristin flowers to thank her for putting him up but knew he didn't want to say goodbye. This was, of course, back in the days before social media and WhatsApp messages, and Bill knew he had to put some effort in if he was to win the heart of the intriguing woman he fondly referred to as his 'wild card'.
The comedian was drawn to Kristin's 'wild spirit' (James Veysey/REX/Shutterstock)
Bill's romantic efforts paid off in the long-term (Mike Marsland/WireImage)And so, drawing for his poetic tendencies, lovelorn Bill set about penning letters to Kristin - every single day for an entire year. He explained: "I didn't have a computer for email, phoning wasn't easy. It was very old-fashioned." Tapping into his inner Shakespeare ultimately paid off, however, and the pair became a couple.
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After dating for a decade, Bill and former costume designer Kristin decided to tie the knot and, just like the early days of their courtship, their wedding was as romantic as it was unconventional. While travelling through Indonesia in 1998, the by-then long-term couple decided to get married - without a second to lose.
During a 2009 interview with The Independent, Bill shared: "We were travelling around Asia and sailed into a place called Banda, with a beautiful lagoon, and a smoking volcano on one side and a Dutch colonial fort, an old church and remains of a little town on the other. We decided to get married there and then."
In 2003, Bill and Kristen, who now live in Hammersmith, West London, welcomed their son Dax, whose unusual name was inspired by a child they met while travelling. Speaking with The Guardian in 2011, Bill revealed: "Contrary to popular belief, Dax is not named after a Star Trek character. The name came from a friend of ours who married an Indonesian man. They had a son called Dax and we just always associated it with being in Indonesia and always said, 'If ever we have a child, that'll be in the running'. At the same time, I'd rather lost track of the various Star Trek spin-offs and was completely unaware that Dax was also the name of a character in Deep Space Nine until someone told me."
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