During the 'It's Been A Pleasure' special, the Scottish comedian speaks from his home in Florida to explain why Parkinson's disease played a big part in his decision to end of his stand-up career.
- December 29, 2020
AceShowbiz - Dustin Hoffman, Paul McCartney, and Elton John were among the stars showering praise on Scottish comedian Billy Connolly on Monday night (December 28) as he marked the end of his stand-up career with a British TV special.
The 78-year-old was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2013 and he announced his decision to retire from live performances in 2018.
The "It's Been A Pleasure" special, which aired on ITV, was his last hurrah, and it featured friends and celebrity fans paying homage to the comedy legend.
Actress Sheridan Smith stunned viewers when she revealed she had named her first son, Billy, after the comic, while Hoffman, who directed Connolly in the 2012 film "Quartet", said, "I want him to be around for a long, long time," and Sir Elton called him "the first rock star of comedy."
Speaking from his home in Florida, Connolly explained why he decided to hang up the microphone, adding, "I have done my stand-up. I did it for 50 years. I did it quite well and it is time to stop."
"My Parkinson's disease has rendered me different. It would either mean renewing what I do and doing something else, or give up what I did and that's what I've done... (but) it is a dynamite thing to be able to get a laugh out of someone."
"Since the Parkinson's I'm still the same in many ways, but I don't think as sharply as I need to to be a stand-up. I've done 50 years and that's plenty. Quitting is the right thing to do."
