Any encounter with wild nature is memorable in some way

COMEDIAN AND FORMER STRICTLY WINNER BILL BAILEY TALKS TO PRUDENCE WADE ABOUT THE ANIMALS THAT HAVE SHAPED HIS LIFE

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BILL BAILEY'S west London residence is home to a family of armadillos, three dogs, cockatoos, lizards, tree frogs, a couple of pheasants... and that's having "pared it down" over the years.

After all, the comedian and musician got rid of some of the more boisterous animals that used to make up his personal menagerie.

"We have pared it down a little bit - we don't have the chickens anymore, which is a shame. I used to love the chickens - we used to get fresh eggs every day, and they're endlessly entertaining as well," Bill reminisces. "The ducks have gone, which I miss. But they're hard work - they're quite messy."

At least he still has the armadillos - Tommy and Pamela, and their offspring Dylan who Bill calls "endlessly fascinating", particularly as they move around with their shells almost concealing their legs, "like those robot carpet cleaners" Of course, living with a coterie of exotic animals in a busy city doesn't come without its own unique set of practical considerations.

"We had a cockerel for a while, and he suddenly discovered his crow he discovered that he could crow like a proper cockerel should," Bill recounts. This was a new development previously, "he never really followed through, like he wasn't quite sure of his own self.

"Then he one day got confident, and he realised he could he just wouldn't shut up then." This wasn't exactly good news for the Bailey family. "A cockerel crowing at first light in a flat in west London? This is going to be a problem," the comedian thought - so when he started chatting to a neighbour, he steeled himself to embark on an apology tour.

"He goes, 'I love it, this is fantastic. Reminds me of the countryside," remembers.