Bill Bailey, 59, stuns fans after cutting off his trademark 'skullet' and shaving his head as comedian admits he's had 'a bit of a trim for the summer'

It certainly looked like Bill Bailey, but something appeared to missing as the comedian posed for a headshot on Thursday morning. 

Bailey was a man reborn after making the bold decision to cut off his trademark 'skullet' - a sweep of long, greying hair exclusive to the back of his otherwise balding  head. 

Showing off the results with Instagram followers, the once shaggy comedian, 59, looked vastly different with an evenly shaved head and neatly manicured beard. 

With more than a hint of understatement, he wrote: 'Had a bit of a trim for the summer.' 

The radical change prompted a mixed response from fans, with some claiming Bailey looked younger as a result of ditching his old look, while others demanded he grow his hair back immediately. 

It certainly looked like Bill Bailey , but something appeared to missing as the comedian posed for a headshot on Thursday morning

It certainly looked like Bill Bailey , but something appeared to missing as the comedian posed for a headshot on Thursday morning

Bailey was a man reborn after making the bold decision to cut off his trademark 'skullet' - a sweep of long, greying hair exclusive to the back of his otherwise balding head

Bailey was a man reborn after making the bold decision to cut off his trademark 'skullet' - a sweep of long, greying hair exclusive to the back of his otherwise balding head

'Loved the skullet, but I'm also equally loving the shaved look. You suit any style!' wrote one impressed follower. 

A second added: 'Looking fab Bill!' 

While a third commented: 'I was not ready for this today... looking sharp though!' 

A less enthusiastic fan wrote: 'But I thought your hair was the source of your superpowers?? Welcome back to being a mere mortal.' 

Anther added: 'Oh. No no no, stick it back on immediately!' 

Speaking to The Guardian in 2021, Bailey admitted his bald-on-the top-long-at-the back hairstyle attracted plenty of attention whenever he was out in public. 

'I am happy with the fact that, through no effort of my own, I have effected some sort of style – the skullet,' he said. 

'I have trapped my hair in the electric window of a car a couple of times and caught it in the door of a tube. I had to stand with my head at a crazy angle until we got to the next stop and I was released. 

'I get called a hobbit or a roadie/hippy/wizard, and it's all down to the hair. It's my trademark.' 

A young Bailey, having his hair cut by his amateur hairdresser grandad as a child

A young Bailey, having his hair cut by his amateur hairdresser grandad as a child 

Bailey shows off his new look
It is in stark contrast to the unusual man bun he attempted while attending the 2022 premiere of Avatar: The Way of Water

Bailey's new look (left) is in stark contrast to the unusual man bun he attempted while attending the 2022 premiere of Avatar: The Way of Water (right)

The radical change prompted a mixed response from fans, with some claiming Bailey looked younger as a result of ditching his old look, while others demanded he grow his hair back

The radical change prompted a mixed response from fans, with some claiming Bailey looked younger as a result of ditching his old look, while others demanded he grow his hair back

The comedian previously admitted his bald-on-the top-long-at-the back hairstyle attracted plenty of attention whenever he was out in public

The comedian previously admitted his bald-on-the top-long-at-the back hairstyle attracted plenty of attention whenever he was out in public

In January the comedian - best known for his long-serving role on Never Mind The Buzzcocks - told Weekend magazine his hair would often be cut by a family member during his childhood. 

He recalled: 'My grandfather fancied himself as a hairdresser. He had scissors, a cape, a chair and clippers as well as hair oil and other products. 

'You wouldn’t get a fancy new style, it was just a short back and sides.' 

Bailey remains the oldest celebrity winner of Strictly Comer Dancing after claiming the Glitter Ball with professional dancer Oti Mabuse in 2020. 

Speaking to Loose Women in September, he admitted said experience was very 'strange' because it took place during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Bailey spent around 12 hours a day with Mabuse before returning home and repeating the process throughout the competition due to people having to remain in their specific social bubbles. 

To date, Bailey is the oldest winner of Strictly Come Dancing having won the show with professional dance partner Oti Mabuse in 2020

To date, Bailey is the oldest winner of Strictly Come Dancing having won the show with professional dance partner Oti Mabuse in 2020

       WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF                                     HAIRLOSS? 

It is perfectly normal for people to lose small amounts of hair as it replenishes itself and, on average, people can shed between 50 and 100 hairs per day.

However, if people start to lose entire patches of hair or large amounts of it it can be more distressing and potentially a sign of something serious.

Pattern baldness is a common cause of hair loss as people grow older. At least half of men over the age of 50 will lose some of their hair just through the ageing process, according to the British Association of Dermatologists.

Women may lose their hair as they grow older, too.

Other, more concerning causes of hair loss include stress, cancer treatment such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy, weight loss or an iron deficiency.

Most hair loss is temporary, however, and can be expected to grow back. 

Specific medical conditions which cause the hair to fall out include alopecia, a disorder of the immune system; an underactive or overactive thyroid; the skin condition lichen planus or Hodgkin's lymphoma, a type of cancer. 

People should visit their doctor if their hair starts to fall out in lumps, falls out suddenly, if their scalp itches or burns, and if hair loss is causing them severe stress.