News about Billy Connolly

Billy Connolly has made a harrowing admission about death as he opened up about his ongoing battle with Parkinson's disease. The comedian, 81, was diagnosed with the degenerative condition in 2013 and on the same day was also told he had prostate cancer - which he later got the all clear from. And in a frank new interview, Billy told that after coming to terms with his illness, he finally sees the funny side to death.

He was the strapping Highlander with a face 'hewn from granite', and she was the grieving monarch in the depths of misery. The relationship between Queen Victoria and John Brown (left, depicted by Judi Dench and Billy Connolly in 1998 film Mrs Brown), who was her close companion after the death of her husband Prince Albert, has been the subject of intrigue for well over a century. In the Mail's new podcast, columnist and royal biographer Robert Hardman and historian Professor Kate Williams examine how Brown's relationship with Victoria blossomed over more than two decades. They are rumoured to have slept in adjoining rooms, and the Queen referred to him as 'darling' in letters. And when the Queen died in 1901, she was buried wearing the wedding ring that once belonged to Brown's mother. But did she really marry the 6ft, kilt-wearing Scot in a secret ceremony near Balmoral, her beloved estate in Scotland? That is the key question explored in the second episode of Queens, Kings and Dastardly Things, released today.

From blood-spattered whodunnits to furtive romances or theft on the grandest scale, these are all true stories with three things in common. They all involve royalty. They all involve great scandal. And they all continue to throw up intriguing, unanswered questions. And, from today, everyone is very welcome to throw in an opinion of their own, as the Daily Mail launches the new podcast series: Queens, Kings and Dastardly Things.

A top comic has accused Edinburgh's Fringe Festival of becoming a Scots version of Munich's beer-swilling Oktoberfest. German comedian Henning Wehn said performers and shows were becoming 'superfluous', with thousands of revellers flocking to the city to drink. The Fringe, which started on Friday and runs until August 26, helped launch the career of scores of comedy stars such as Rowan Atkinson, Billy Connolly and Steve Coogan.

Sarah had, as tradition dictated, stayed at Clarence House the night before. She now travelled in the Glass Coach with her father, Major Ronald Ferguson, flanked by eight Lifeguard troopers of the Sovereign's Escort which he had once commanded. The young bride entered Westminster Abbey to Elgar's Imperial March with four-year-old Prince William (inset) as one of her page boys. Her wedding dress with its 17 foot 6 inch train had been designed by Lindka Cierach, who revealed that she had to veto some of the bride's bizarre dress requests, including decorative teddy bears and helicopters. Amongst the almost 2,000 guests was US First Lady Nancy Reagan, acting great Michael Caine, and showbiz stars Jackie Stewart, Barry Humphries, Joan Rivers, Billy Connolly and Elton John.

The comedian, 65, cut a dapper figure in a beige suit as he arrived at the event hand-in-hand with theatre mogul Lisa, also 65.  He paired his sharp ensemble with a crisp floral shirt, a lilac tie, and a pair of white trainers. 

They were an iconic feature of Sir Billy Connolly's 1975 tour and became part of his trademark look as he rose to fame. Now, a Scottish fashion designer has taken inspiration from the comic's banana boots by showcasing his own version during London Fashion Week.

It's the penguins that tickled me most. Such is the Taylor Swift fever that has gripped Edinburgh this past week that the penguins at the city's zoo - including Major General Sir Nils Olav III, who moonlights as colonel-in-chief of the Norwegian King's Guard - are wearing Swiftie friendship bracelets. Sir Nils's bracelet - in case you were wondering - is purple.

A long-lost Billy Connolly documentary has been unearthed and is hitting selected cinema screens across the UK and Ireland from Friday May 10. The rarely-seen documentary called Big Banana Feet was restored by the British Film Institute using rare 16mm prints. It captures the Big Yin on and off stage during his 1975 tour of Ireland, when he was on the cusp of international stardom.

Veteran Scots entertainer Christian has died at the age of 80 - just days after his final performance. The Glasgow-born singer and pantomime star, real name Chris McClure, had a career spanning more than 60 years. He had been on stage at Fauldhouse Miners' Welfare Club in West Lothian on Saturday and died peacefully at his home in Bishopbriggs, near Glasgow, on Monday. During his career, the showbiz stalwart performed at the city's Pavilion Theatre for more than five decades, toured with Billy Connolly and featured on Top of the Pops with the 1982 Scotland World Cup squad.

The comedian, 65, cut a dapper figure in a wine-red crushed velvet blazer as he headed home hand-in-hand with theatre mogul Lisa, also 65.

Here is a look at some old news. You have undoubtedly forgotten it because it is news so old. The results of a referendum that happened so long ago are troubling; to vote today, you'll have to be at least 44 years old.

Sir Lenny Henry has confirmed that for one reason, including ex-wife Dawn French, he did not have to abandon presenting the iconic telethon, he revealed that missing his former Comic Relief co-hosts, including ex-wife Dawn French, was one reason why he resigned from hosting the renowned telethon. Since its inception as a charity in 1985, the comedian, 65, has fronted the Red Nose Day specials, but has announced that this month will be his last. Sir Lenny, who was married to Dawn from 1984 to 2010, told Radio Times that he'missed his gang' of fellow comedians who co-hosted with him in the 80s, including French and Saunders, Billy Connolly, and late Victoria Wood.

ALAN CHADWICK: The Big Yin's 1975 tour to Dublin and Belfast shows a rise from the stage to pretend it's a bomb in this long-lost fly-on-the-wall film about Billy Connolly's 1975 visit to Dublin and Belfast, where the Big Yin's iconic banana boots are on display. It's a gy, edgy, off-the-cuff moment. (To put it in perspective, three members of The Miami Showband cabaret group were killed by a paramilitary group just weeks before they embarked on Ireland for their tour of Ireland.) It's also a stroke of comedy genius that shows Connolly at his iconoclastic best, a steward exposing the time's volatile nature and horrors while defusing any tension in the audience. The film, which was on a restored print, was reported to be missing after its distributor went bust. An archivist discovered a copy on eBay and bought it for £50. It's been nearly 50 years.

CRAIG HOPE IN LA CASA DE MIJAS: Even in Spain this week, the long arm and booming sound of Gladiators was breaking the tranquillity of a Mediterranean sunset. 'Gladiators, ready!' In the otherwise tranquil La Cala de Mijas, one diner cries in a seaside bar. Why? Mark Clattenburg had just walked in. The former Premier League referee has sworn on the whistle as part of the television revival of the classic Nineties show, in which 'contenders' compete against 'Gladiators' in a series of physical challenges. On Saturday night's prime-time broadcast on BBC One, it has reignited the viewer's imagination. This was one national newspaper review of a 'phenomenal revival'. Clattenburg resists the temptation to return his line of 'Contenders, ready!' To the vivacious soul beneath the evening sun.

Billy Connolly has given his fans a health update as he fights Parkinson's disease. The comedian, who died at the age of 81, was diagnosed with the degenerative disease ten years ago. Billy, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer on the same day, but later became all clear, said being sick felt'strange'.

If King Charles decides to marry for the second time, he would give the Duke and Duchess of York permission to remarry, but another union will be a far cry from their lavish 1986 wedding reception, which featured a 17ft train and a 20ft veil (right). In scenes royal fans would now associate with Prince William, the event featured a young Prince William as a page boy who continued to keep his eyes open throughout the ceremony. The guests arrived at Claridge's Hotel for an after-party that featured a 5ft wedding cake (inset) following a lavish reception that saw the Abbey bedecked with more than 30,000 flowers.

ROGER ALTON has selected the best memoirs of the year, including The Unlikely Duke: Memoirs of an Eclectic Life by Harry Beaufort and Billy Connolly's Rambling Man. The second, a life-affirming ramble to every corner of the Earth, should make you want to grab your banjo and head out onto the open road.

This week is ten years since The Clutha Vaults became a symbol of horrific tragedy after a police helicopter crashed from the sky and crashed through the roof of a crowded Glasgow bar. Just a month before Christmas, ten people were killed amid the chaos and terror that erupted on that tumultuous Friday night.

After being forced to stop working as an architect three years ago, Marc Gauthier (pictured), a French architect from Pessac, was forced to stop practicing as an architect three years ago because of his illness, making it impossible for him to walk. He will slip five to six times a day and will not be able to climb stairs due to mobility issues. However, neuroscientists and neurosurgeons have invented a spinal implant that has enabled Mr Gauthier to walk safely, confidently, and without falling. Pictured correct: Mr Gauthier is walking on his own due to the implant (top) and with assistance when it is turned off (bottom).

The Daily Mail's Weekend magazine has reached yet another magnificent milestone - this month we turn 30! We asked you to share our top ten TV shows so we could compile our definitive list of the 100 Greatest TV Shows voted for by you.

EPHRAIM HARDCASTLE: A Windsor Castle archivist whispers that as they catalog the late Queen's letters and records, as well as Prince Philip, they create a personal history that scholars can depend on. However, she claims that the younger royals prefer emails to writing things down and that they often resort to social media to vent (which is heavily secured and encrypted). There is no such thing as a safe harbor. One of the suggestions that one be introduced has fallen on deaf ears. Historical historians of the past may have a difficult time in the future.

The 80-year-old Scottish comedian has confessed to being 'haters' on his freedom as a result of Parkinson's illness. Sir Billy Connolly was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease a decade ago on the same day he discovered he had prostate cancer, for which he was later informed. However, despite fighting the illness, Sir Billy has expressed appreciation for his "sense of humour" that is lifting his spirits in the dark times.

The charity that runs museums in Scotland's largest city started last year deliberately giving away more than 50 priceless objects from its collections last summer. These coveted cultural treasures had been stolen, according to Glasgow Life, but it was also high time they were returned to their rightful owners. The plans involved returning seven items, including a 14th century ceremonial Indo-Persian tulwar, a type of sword, to various temples and shrines in India , repatriating 19 Benin bronzes to Nigeria and 25 Native American items to the Cheyenne River