Sir Billy Connolly “finished with stand-up” due to his Parkinson’s

Global update

Author: Sophie BatesPublished: 12 March 2020

Prep: Cook: Serves:

Scottish comedian Sir Billy Connolly announces that he will not perform stand-up again due to his Parkinson’s – and says he will not let the condition define him

Sir Billy Connolly, who revealed he has Parkinson’s in 2013, announced in a recent interview that he is “finished with stand-up” due to his condition.

Talking to UK news channel Sky News, the 77 year-old comedian, actor and musician said: “Parkinson’s has made my brain work differently and you need to have a good brain for comedy.”

Reflecting on his 50 years of comedy, he added it was “lovely being good at it”.

Connolly, who was voted the UK’s most influential stand-up comedian of all time in 2012, said he does not want Parkinson’s to define him.

“I don’t think you should let Parkinson’s define you and all your pals be Parkinson’s people. I don’t think it’s particularly good for you. So I don’t do it.

“I’m always being asked to go to Parkinson’s things and spend time with Parkinson’s people… and I don’t approve of it.”

After announcing his retirement in 2018, the comedian made a surprise return to television last year and launched his first art collection in 2012.

Reacting to the news that the comedy legend would no longer perform on stage, fans and friends took to Twitter to express their appreciation.

UK comedy writer Simon Blackwell shared his admiration for Connolly:

"It was lovely being good at it."

Not just good, the absolute best.https://t.co/KPuELQ2wuT
— Simon Blackwell (@simonblackwell) March 6, 2020

UK actor Sean Maguire shared his gratitude for having worked with the comedian:

I feel so lucky to have worked with this great man. So kind. So wise. So brilliant. Love you @Billy_Connolly enjoy your rest. You’ve earned it. https://t.co/IuckBdovbA
— Sean Maguire (@sean_m_maguire) March 7, 2020

UK politician Pat McFadden praised Connolly for reinventing comedy:

The world owes Billy Connolly so much. He reinvented comedy as the art of brilliant story telling. He’s a genius who saved us from years of rubbish mother in law/x walks into a bar jokes. God bless him and give thanks for what he did. https://t.co/faymR0hT8O
— Pat McFadden (@patmcfaddenmp) March 6, 2020

Lead image credit: John Devlin/JPI Media

Ozzy Osbourne: “I’ve owned up to the fact that I have Parkinson’s”

Share this story

Comments

Award-winning Parkinson’s inventor told to leave UK within 14 days

Inventor of life-changing Parkinson’s walking stick refused visa

Lonnie Ali says her late husband Muhammad Ali “inspires her” every day

Muhammad Ali’s wife discusses inspirational husband in webinar

Creative and living with Parkinson’s? Showcase your work in the Mervyn Peake Awards

Art competition: get your entries in for a chance to exhibit work

Loneliness may increase severity of Parkinson’s disease symptoms

Researchers in the US have found that people with Parkinson’s disease who experience loneliness may be at an increased risk for severe symptoms related to the condition. As part of the study – published in the medical journal NPJ Parkinson’s Disease – researchers collected information from 1,500 people with the condition between 2014 to 2019. Those who reported being very lonely were also less likely to exercise regularly and follow a healthy diet – and more likely to experience a lower quality of life. Dr Indu Subramanian, neurologist and author of the study, said that the team were “surprised” by some of the results and that “one of the most detrimental things is actually being lonely”. The negative impact of loneliness on the severity of Parkinson’s disease symptoms, she added, was as large as the positive impact of exercise. In light of Covid-19 and the resulting social isolation, the research…

Can tremor predict the effect of Parkinson’s disease medication?

Researchers from the Netherlands have found a link between tremor symptoms and how dopaminergic medication impacts learning abilities in Parkinson’s disease. Many people with Parkinson’s become sensitive to learning through rewards due to a decrease in dopamine in the brain. As part of a new study – published in the scientific journal Brain –researchers assessed 43 tremor-dominant and 20 non-tremor dominant people with Parkinson’s while they were on and off dopaminergic medication. The results showed that in people with Parkinson’s who do not experience tremor, dopaminergic medication improves the ability to learn from rewards – and in those with tremor, the medication has no impact on reward learning. Rick Helmich, co-author of the study and a neurologist at Radboud University Medical Centre, the Netherlands, said: “Whether someone experiences tremor or not might therefore potentially have a significant predictive value regarding the effectiveness of medication in the cognitive domain. However, more…

Could a ‘Mediterranean diet’ lower the risk of Parkinson’s for women?

A study by scientists in Sweden has suggested that women who eat a ‘Mediterranean diet’ at middle age could have a lower risk of Parkinson’s later in life. The report, published in the Movement Disorders journal, used dietary information from more than 47,000 women aged 29 to 49, recorded between the early 1990s and 2012. They looked at how closely the women adhered to a Mediterranean dietary pattern (MDP), which is high in foods such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, unsaturated fats and legumes. They then compared the information with data from the Swedish National Patient Register to find out whether participants had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s. The researchers found that those with a high adherence to the diet had a 46% lower risk of being diagnosed with the condition compared to those with a low adherence, concluding that “higher adherence to a Mediterranean diet at middle age was associated with…

All fields required

First name*
Last name*
Email address*
Enter Email Confirm Email
Country of residence*
About me*
- I have Parkinson's disease
- I am a partner / carer / family / friend of someone who has Parkinson's
- I am a healthcare professional with an interest in Parkinson's
- I work for a Parkinson's disease organisation
- Other
CAPTCHA
*
- By proceeding you agree to our
Name
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Sir Billy Connolly “finished with stand-up” due to his Parkinson’s

Global update

Author: Sophie BatesPublished: 12 March 2020

Prep: Cook: Serves:

Last Month

Next Month

Share this story

Comments

Perspectives

Award-winning Parkinson’s inventor told to leave UK within 14 days

Resources & Tools

Lonnie Ali says her late husband Muhammad Ali “inspires her” every day

Europe

Creative and living with Parkinson’s? Showcase your work in the Mervyn Peake Awards

Loneliness may increase severity of Parkinson’s disease symptoms

Can tremor predict the effect of Parkinson’s disease medication?

Could a ‘Mediterranean diet’ lower the risk of Parkinson’s for women?

{title}

Subscribe

Sir Billy Connolly “finished with stand-up” due to his Parkinson’s

Global update

Author: Sophie BatesPublished: 12 March 2020

Prep: Cook: Serves:

Last Month

Next Month

Share this story

Comments

Related articles

Perspectives

Award-winning Parkinson’s inventor told to leave UK within 14 days

Resources & Tools

Lonnie Ali says her late husband Muhammad Ali “inspires her” every day

Europe

Creative and living with Parkinson’s? Showcase your work in the Mervyn Peake Awards

Loneliness may increase severity of Parkinson’s disease symptoms

Can tremor predict the effect of Parkinson’s disease medication?

Could a ‘Mediterranean diet’ lower the risk of Parkinson’s for women?

{title}

Subscribe

Sign in