Connolly jokes his career is ‘out the window’ as he gets Bafta fellowship
Sir Billy Connolly joked that he was happy to receive the prestigious Bafta fellowship "now my career is out the window" in a pre-recorded message at the academy's TV awards.
The 79-year-old Scottish comedian, also known as The Big Yin, lives in the US and was not able to attend the event in person but recorded an acceptance speech.
He was honoured yesterday for a career spanning more than five decades. Sir Billy, who has Parkinson's disease, said: "I am very proud to receive this. Life is good. I haven't been on the stage for about two years. this is kind of nice. Symptom spotters among you may notice that my left is different from my right. It is just one of these things. Parkinson's disease. I suffer badly from the disease.
"My wife put son my clothes in the morning and takes them off at night. it is a jolly life.i have got no complaints."
After telling anecdotes illustrating how the world has changed in his 50 years of comedy, he added :" I went from strength to strength on television and here we are today getting this award. I couldn't be happier. It has made me such a happy man getting these good attendance medals now my career is out the window."
He joins a prestigious list of recipients including Sir David Attenborough, Dame Julie Walters, Sir Trevor Mcdonald, Dame Joanna Lumley, Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders.
At last night’s awards, the media executive behind Channel4 series goggle box criticised the “destructive plan” to privatise the broadcaster.
The popular programme claimed the award for reality and constructed factual programmes during the event.
With the cast of the show stood around him, Stephen Lambert, chief executive of Studio Lambert said: “Gogglebox might have ended when it started nine years ago because it had modestratings but a publicly owned risk-taking Channel 4 believed in it and they stuck with it.
“If the Government goes ahead with its destructive plan to end Channel 4, these kind of risks will not be taken and a big part of what makes British TV great will have ended for no good reason.”