Billy Connolly Page 2

In one unforgettable day Billy Connolly received two life changing diagnosis'.

The Scottish comedian recalled the time he was told he had testicular cancer and Parkinson's disease on the same exact day, in a new ITV documentary.

The upcoming 2-part series, called 'Billy Connolly's Big Send Off', takes a detailed look into the world of death, from its customs to the people working within the industry.

Continue reading: Billy Connolly Recalls Receiving Double Diagnosis On The Same Day

Alright, so we realise that nothing can truly be a bargain at £2m, but if you take a look at Billy Connolly’s castle – the one that’s up for sale right now – you might just check your bank account to see if you can scrape together the funds. Imagine a game of hide and seek in that mother.

Billy Connolly is saying goodbye to his castle, but he doesn't seem too annoyed

Saville’s, the company selling the castle, call it a "beautiful Scottish mansion house with stunning Highland setting." The house is so big, you have to pay council tax on a total of three buildings: Candacraig House, the Old Engine House and the Gate Lodge, all with different tax bands. Ridiculous.

Continue reading: Billy Connolly's Aberdeenshire Castle Up For Sale, Is £2m A Bargain?

Billy Connelly has publicly addressed his ongoing troubles with memory loss, saying that the frightening deterioration of his mental health is beginning to affect his live shows as well as his personal life. The Scottish Daily Record quoted the comic/actor as saying that his current troubles are of major concern to the Big Yin, who said “This is f*****g terrifying. I feel like I’m going out of my mind.”

Billy Connelly is becoming increasingly concerned over his memory loss.

The 70-year-old admitted that his health problems are becoming an increasing concern after being repeatedly hit with memory shortages during a recent stand up show at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast, during which he had to be reminded of what he was talking about by audience members. His memory loss had originally been noticed by his wife, Pamela Stephenson, who blames his decades-long battle with the bottle at the beginning of his career as being at the root of his problems.

Continue reading: Billy Connelly Discusses His 'Terrifying' Difficulties With Memory Loss

Very little of the criticism levied at Dustin Hoffman's directorial debut, Quartet, are serious. Largely because it's not a particularly serious film. The whole thing is lighthearted fun, behaving like a bit of a playground for the above-middle-age cast and director, all of whom who have enjoyed successful careers and don't necessarily need to push themselves in anything dark and mysterious. 

Quartet is the story of a quartet of ageing musicians, living in a home together. In their younger days they had performed together, and they would like to again. Starring Maggie Smith, Billy Connolly, Michael Gambon, Tom Courtenay and Sheridan Smith as support. Reviews have been fairly average so far. 

The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw gave it a desultory 2/5 stars saying that it "is stale, lifeless and often weirdly humourless," but praising Sheridan Smith, who he says "actually steals the film, just a little, with a quietly affecting final speech."

Continue reading: Quartet Is A 'Labrador' Of A Film: Average Reviews For Dustin Hoffman's Directorial Debut

Although everyone has their favourites, there is no one role that Scottish comedian Billy Connolly is best known for, and it is partly that broad ranging talent that he was being awarded for at the Scottish BAFTAs yesterday (19th Nov. 2012). 

Connolly's credits include, most recently Brave, the Disney Pixar movie about a Scottish princess who doesn't want to get married, plus others over the years such as The Last Samurai, Mrs Brown, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, plus he'll be appearing in The Hobbit trilogy, the first of which is coming up next year. Billy has also done an enormous amount of stand up tours, plus a lot of TV documentaries. The length and breadth of his comedic and general entertaining value is almost incalculable, but aptly celebrated in the award. 

Connolly couldn't make it to the event because of work, but he left a message in standard comedic style, saying:"I'm really pleased and proud to receive this trophy from BAFTA in Scotland, because I know you probably think we luvvies get shiny prizes all the time. But actually, sometimes we don't." 

Continue reading: Billy Connolly Given Outstanding Contribution Award At Scottish BAFTAs

A truly special comedy moment as [L-R] Sophie Winkleman, Russell Brand, Tim Curry, Tracey Ullman, Billy Connolly, Jane Leeves, Jim Piddock, Eric Idle and Eddie Izzard join forces in Los Angeles.

Look at that line-up, it's one for the ages is it not? Los Angeles comedy fans were given an absolute treat as an all-star cast featuring world renowned stand-up comedians, Hollywood actors and sitcom legends performed improvisational musical called What About Dick? Written by Monty Python man Eric Idle, the show saw comedians-cum-actors Eddie Izzard and Russell Brand join up with the likes of acting stalwart Tim Curry, US 80s comedy star Tracey Ullman, Scottish stand-up Billy Connolly and Frasier star Jane Leeves and more for the hilarious play. 

Continue reading: Russell Brand Among All-Star Cast For Eric Idle's Latest Play

Gruff-voiced comedian Billy Connolly is to be an ambassador for the 2014 Commonwealth games, reports The Press Association. The games will be held in his hometown of Glasgow.

Connolly will work alongside Olympic cycling hero Sir Chris Hoy and swimmer Rebecca Adlington in the role, whilst organisers prepare to unveil the official Games mascot on Thursday. "I know that the people of Glasgow will enjoy the Games immensely, the whole of Scotland will. We are a nation that welcomes all visitors with a smiling face. The goodwill of Scots will stand forever, we will always have that," explained the comedian, who thinks the key to the games is involving the youth. "Without the youth of today creating a momentum behind an event, nothing is taken forward. By engaging with children in the design of the mascot, a buzz has been created. You can feel the excitement for the Games already."

An event such as these takes thousands of volunteers to make it a viable success, 15,000 to specific. But the Glaswegian funny-man is confident that the public will step up – like they did for the London 2012 Olympic Games – to make another memorable sporting event happen for Great Britain. "We love taking part in everything and for something as big as the Commonwealth Games, people will be coming out in their droves to spectate and volunteer. Without question, Glasgow 2014 will be a huge success."