Class ACT!

BILL BAILEY on helping amateur thespians on the road to stardom

- ELAINE REILLY

BRING THE DRAMA 
WEDNESDAY, 9PM, BBC2 REALITY

The chance of a lifetime is waiting in the wings for eight aspiring actors who dream of breaking into the world of TV in BBC2’s reality series Bring the Drama.

In the company of host Bill Bailey, the group will be mentored for six weeks by top casting director Kelly Valentine Hendry, whose credits include Bridgerton, Broadchurch and Ghosts, and also get the chance to work alongside famous faces on the sets of hit shows such as Peaky Blinders and Silent Witness.

TV Times caught up with actor, comedian and Strictly 2020 champion Bill, 59, to find out more…

What caught your eye about this project, Bill?

It’s an intriguing idea, inviting people who’ve never had any professional acting experience to be coached and mentored. I’ve not seen anything quite like it. Not only does it go behind the scenes of shows like BBC1’s EastEnders and Casualty, you find out about the real nuts-and-bolts process of acting itself. It’s a tough racket to have a career in and this show doesn’t sugar-coat it.