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BAFTA Awards to honour Sir Billy Connolly

"It’s lovely to be recognised and to become a jolly good fellow," says UK showbiz legend.

Sir Billy Connolly is to be honoured with the prestigious BAFTA Fellowship.

He will receive the highest accolade bestowed by the film and TV academy at the BAFTA TV Awards to be held this weekend in London.

“I am deeply honoured. Fifty films and… I can’t remember how many TV shows – as well as my stage comedy – added up to something that’s a joy to look back on. A lovely thing. I have no regrets at all,” he said.

“I had no idea the Fellowship existed, but I’m told it’s a big deal! It’s lovely to be recognised and to become a jolly good fellow.”

He follows in the footsteps of stars such as Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders, Sir Bruce Forsyth, Michael Palin, Sir David Attenborough.

BAFTA executive Emma Baehrsaid: “We’re honoured to be awarding Sir Billy Connolly with the 2022 BAFTA Fellowship Award. He has made a remarkable contribution to our industry from his first appearance on Parkinson in 1975, through to becoming a national treasure on stage and screen, adored by fans around the world.

“As a young comedian, Connolly broke all the rules. He was fearless and outspoken – willing to call out hypocrisy wherever he saw it. However, his stand-up was full of warmth, humility and silliness too.

“Billy’s pitch-perfect stand-up comedy kept coming… for over 50 years until a double diagnosis of cancer and Parkinson’s Disease has brought his remarkable live performances to an end. Since then, he had continued to make TV shows, creating extraordinary drawings and writing.”

Source: Chortle

2 Responses

  1. Well deserved and for any who is a Billy Connolly Fan and has not done so yet, I highly recommend his Biography Windswept and Interesting released in October last year, really good insight especially for his childhood.

  2. Considering Billy Connolly began his entertainment career as a loud Glasgow stand up comedian with a love for coarse language he certainly proved his abilities as an actor providing the roles suited his brusque personality, he was fortunate during the 80’s to meet Pamela Stephenson who straightened his personality out a bit and they have been soul partners ever since, and are dealing with Billy’s Parkinson Disease together.

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