The Big Yin’s ‘wonderful brain has dulled’ in fight with disease

MICHAEL Parkinson has spoken out about his friend Billy Connolly’s ongoing battle with Parkinson’s disease, saying his ‘wonderful brain has dulled’.

Chat show king Parkinson, 83, discussed comedian Billy’s condition during a segment on Saturday Morning With James Martin, where he told of a recent awkward dinner between the pair.

Parkinson recalled the ‘sad and awkward’ moment he realised his old friend didn’t recognise him during an awards dinner where he was presenting him with an accolade.

He told show host James that Billy had asked him how long they had known each other, which led him to question whether he recognised him at all.

Michael said: ‘The sadness of Billy now is that wonderful brain is dulled.

‘I saw him recently and it was very sad, because I was presenting him with a prize at an awards ceremony.

‘We had an awkward dinner together, because I wasn’t quite sure if he knew who I was or not.’

Billy, pictured with Parkinson, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2013 following minor surgery for prostate cancer.

Michael said: ‘To know someone as long as I knew and loved Billy… it was an awful thing to contemplate, that that had been taken from him in a sense. He was just a genius and the best thing that happened to me on the show.’

Billy, also known as the Big Yin, was a regular guest on chat show Parkinson, which ran from 1971 to 2007, before he left to focus on his autobiography and other projects.

As well as an extremely successful career in stand-up, Billy has also starred in the likes of The Hobbit, Mrs Brown and The Last Samurai.

Billy was knighted by Queen Elizabeth last October for his services to entertainment and charity – just weeks before his 75th birthday.

Billy was recognised for his work in entertainment, both as a comedian and a TV personality, though he started out his career as a singer in a band.

After going solo, Billy released his first album Billy Connolly Live in 1972, the first of more than 30 albums and comedic recordings made throughout his career.

Billy made regular appearances on the Parkinson show, as well as in a slew of other television and movie roles.

One of Billy’s most iconic performances was in the period drama Mrs Brown, playing a friend to Queen Victoria, John Brown, and was nominated for a BAFTA for his performance.

Parkinson’s is a chronic neurological disorder, characterised by a deficiency of dopamine in the brain.