Billy: Life’s funny!
COMEDY IS HEALTH TONIC FOR BIG YIN
SIR Billy Connolly reckons his sense of humour has helped him cope with his “devastating” Parkinson’s disease.
The Big Yin told how his love of comedy means he looks at his illness positively. Billy, who turns 80 on Thursday, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s a decade ago after a doctor spotted him walking strangely through the lobby of a hotel in Los Angeles.
Billy said: “Comedy has given me everything that is dear to me.
“It has given me a way of life that I couldn’t have dreamt about when I was young. It has made me think properly.
“I now suffer from Parkinson’s disease and comedy has helped me deal with it.
“It has given me a very light look at it. It’s taught me to deal with today and not bother about the future. The future will take care of itself.
“When something devastating happens to you; you can be funny about it and it helps other people as well as you.”
He announced his retirement from stand-up in 2018 due to his health battle but has continued to work on other projects, including a new career as an artist.