Billy Connolly is planning one last TV special before retiring comedy career

If you’re a big fan of comedy, chances are you know Sir Billy Connolly.

The Scottish celebrity came into the spotlight back in the 1970s, trying out comedy after singing in folk band The Humblebums. He’s well known now for his popular stand-up comedy shows, and has also appeared in an array of films over the years. For his performance in the 1997 movie Mrs. Brown, he was even nominated for a BAFTA Award.

By 2017, Billy Connolly received knighthood at Buckingham Palace by Prince William. Talk about a bonafide star.

Clearly, Connolly is a popular comedian, so fans were heartbroken to hear in 2018 that he would be retiring from live performances. This came after the news that he had Parkinson’s disease.

Fast forward to March 2020, and Connolly re-confirmed his retirement, also adding he was simply done with stand-up in general. He explained:

"The Parkinson’s has made my brain work differently, and you need a good brain for comedy. I get upset because certain things go wrong with you, your brain goes adrift, and it affects your body. So you walk differently, you walk like a drunk man sometimes, and you’re frightened you’ll be judged on it."

As terrible as it is to hear that Connolly won’t be doing any more stand-up, we’re hopeful this is the best choice for his health moving forward. And it looks like his career isn’t quite over yet.

Good news comes from Metro this week, who reports that Billy Connolly will be doing one more TV special before he officially says goodbye to comedy.

Reportedly, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Lenny Henry, and even Billy’s wife Pamela Stephenson will all be involved in the highly-anticipated special. The program will serve as a tribute, with Billy speaking from his home.

Sir Billy Connolly – It’s Been A Pleasure will debut on ITV. Stay tuned with more information regarding the special and its release.