Billy Connolly reflects on retirement

Glaswegian legend Sir Billy Connolly has said he feels "happy in his skin'' after making the "obvious'' decision to retire from live performances following his Parkinson's disease diagnosis seven years ago.

The 78-year old comedian said being knighted in 2017 for services to entertainment and charity had offered him the "full stop'' he needed to make the decision.

Speaking about a new show looking back at his career, he told the PA news agency: "It's been nice, it's funny talking about the end of my career, because I've given it up and it's strange talking about it as a thing of the past. It's nice to come to that conclusion myself, that I should stop. It's a nice, healthy feeling.''

On his decision to retire, he said: "It was obvious. I had done everything I wanted to do, and I've got this Parkinson's and I don't want to be on stage with Parkinson's. And that's the end of it.

"And it's a natural end because I'm dead happy in my skin. I had a nice career, I did rather well, and I got knighted and that's like the full stop.''

Sir Billy was famous for his energetic presence on stage. Symptoms of Parkinson's disease include decreased mobility and difficulty speaking, leaving him unable to perform as he had in his pomp.

But the performer said he did not worry about the increasing impact the disease had on his life.

He said: "I don't care about it. It's there and I just deal with it. I don't go to meetings with other Parkinson's people and talk about it. I just get on with it.

"I get invited all the time to these Parkinson's society things, to come and have lunch on a Wednesday and talk about Parkinson's. I can't imagine anything more awful.

"I went one day with my son and we were having lunch and it was less than great. Talking about Parkinson's, it's depressing. It's just a fact of life, it's in me and I deal with it.''

Billy Connolly: It's Been A Pleasure airs on ITV on Monday December 28.

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