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‘AS WELCOME as a fart in a spacesuit.” “If Jesus was a Jew, how come he has a Mexican first name?” And “There are two seasons in Scotland: June and winter.”
Billy Connolly’s jokes have had fans chuckling for half a century. Yet his recent appearance on Comic Relief left us fearing for the Big Yin’s health. Straggly-haired and frail looking, the much-loved comedian is suffering from cancer and Parkinson’s disease. But the banjo-playing funnyman is hardly one for self pity.
Having notched up 50 years in showbiz, the anarchic, Glaswegian, 74, has garnered plenty of fans and they line up here to pay tribute.
Among the famous ones are Dame Judi Dench, who starred with him in 1997 hit film Mrs Brown, and Billy’s long term pal Elton John. Fellow comedians Eric Idle, from Monty Python, and Armando Iannucci, who wrote The Thick Of It, share their favourite Billy gags, plus Peter Kay recalls how watching Billy’s TV show lead to his own comedy epiphany.
Fellow Scotsman Andy Murray meanwhile (not exactly known for his sense of humour), reveals how he grew up singing The Welly Song on his way to tennis tournaments.
Equally touching are the contributions from ordinary fans, from students to pensioners, from Scotland to Qatar, they speak movingly of how the Big Yin helped them find love, give birth and even come to terms with disabilities.
He hasn’t given many interviews recently, but Billy reacts here to fans’ dedications, and his beloved wife, Pamela, a great comic herself, talks about life with Billy from their new Florida home. “Billy is able to laugh at the human condition,” she smiles. “He connects with people about how silly we all are and the mistakes that we make.”