'I miss him all the time' - Bill Bailey nears the end of 'Strolling for Sean' Challenge

  • Watch Bill Bailey discuss the charity walk on Good Morning Britain

Comedian Bill Bailey has reached Woolacombe Bay, in his 100-mile challenge in memory of his friend Sean Lock to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.

It has been almost a year since the comedian Sean Lock passed away from cancer aged 58.

Bill Bailey and his team of Sean’s friends and family started the 7-day challenge in Bude, Cornwall, making their way to Woolacombe Bay.

They will be finishing the challenge tomorrow, in Combe Martin, Devon.

This morning (August 8) he spoke to Good Morning Britain, telling Richard Madeley that him and Sean spent “a lot of time walking.”

He said “We spent hours and hours on trails walking all around Britain and all around the world, it was the thing that he loved when he wasn’t working, so I thought of something that would bring people together, bring his family and friends together and honour his memory.

“I think walking is a lovely way to do that.”

The comedian and musician is taking on the 100-mile challenge with Sean's family and friends and has so far raised over £70k Credit: Bill Bailey

Bill revealed that the walk helps him cope with the grief of losing Sean.

“I miss him all the time, every day but I’m very grateful for the time we spent together and we made the most of it,” he said.

“We went on trips, we went on walking trips, we really used that time very richly.

“Grief is something that I think is hard to pin down, it’s not something that is an exact science and you don’t know how it’s going to affect you.

“It can sometimes just ambush you- a turn of phrase, a piece of music, even a stretch of coastline that we walked, I’ll suddenly get this flood of memories that will trigger this response.

“I think talking about the person and keeping their memory alive is a way of dealing with it.”

Bill Bailey continues his walk along the South West coast for Sean Lock

Bill also paid tribute to Sean’s influence and legacy.

He said: “Looking at all the messages that came out when he died, it was not only clear that he made millions of people laugh but had influenced a generation of young comics with his style.

“He was a brilliant writer, a great practitioner of the art and that’s what will be part of his legacy”

Speaking of the rest of the challenge, Bill Bailey admitted that there are a lot of ‘tired limbs’.

“It’s going to be quite a toil under the sun, there’s not a cloud in the sky here.

“We’re all in good spirits, we’re on the home stretch now and we’re really looking forward to it.”

The fundraising target has been raised from £70k to £100k, something Bill says he never thought was possible.

The team have said that they are looking forward to a 'well-earned pint' at the end of the challenge.