Comedian Stephen Bailey — star of Live at the Apollo, Would I Lie To You? and Russell T Davies's upcoming Channel 4 series Tip Toe — joins Scott & David to share the three stories that shaped who he became.
Stories Discussed
Story 1: Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea — Chelsea Handler
Type: Memoir. The book that showed Stephen you could tell the story of the failures, not just the wins. Handler never dampened herself down, even when it got her in trouble — and her message that you only need one yes became a mantra for a kid who wrote to the head of every TV channel and got one reply back.
Story 2: The Secret — Rhonda Byrne
Type: Self-help. Stephen found it when he first moved to London, broke and struggling as a TV runner. He's not interested in the woo-woo — but the idea that spilling your tea doesn't have to ruin your day stuck.
Story 3: Where the Crawdads Sing — Delia Owens
Type: Novel. One of the only books that ever made Stephen cry. A girl raised in trauma, dismissed as "swamp girl," judged rather than helped — and yet fiercely intelligent and resourceful. He connected deeply with the story's message about class and about being underestimated because of where you're from.