Billy Connolly reveals he can feel "life is slipping away" as he opens up about Parkinson's battle in new doc
3 January 2019, 08:01 | Updated: 3 January 2019, 08:40
The Scottish comedian was diagnosed with both prostate cancer and Parkinson's disease on the same day in 2013.
Scottish actor, comedian and musician Sir Billy Connolly has opened up about his struggles with illness during his recent documentary series Made In Scotland.
The 76-year-old suffers from both prostate cancer and Parkinson's of which he was diagnosed with the two diseases on the same day in 2013.
Speaking in his new documentary he explained the heartbreaking reality of how he can feel his life "slipping away" and that he is "at the wrong end of the telescope of life"
In the documentary filmed last year explained: “There is no denying it, I am 75, I have got Parkinson’s and I am at the wrong end of the telescope of life. I am at the point where the yesteryears mean more than the yesterdays."
“Because it is back there in my childhood and youth when I go to all those things that made me that live keenest in my memory now.”
"My life, it’s slipping away and I can feel it and I should. I’m 75, I’m near the end. I’m a damn sight nearer the end than I am the beginning. But it doesn’t frighten me, it’s an adventure and it is quite interesting to see myself slipping away."
His diagnosis is getting increasingly worse and the funnyman has admitted that this recent documentary could have been his last TV appearance ever.
The documentary shows the comic visiting sentimental places in his beloved home country of Scotland and hometown of Glasgow.
But even during last year's filming, things became tough thanks to his Parkinson's symptoms and at times he asked the cameras to stop rolling and had too sit and and calm down to try and combat uncontrollable shaking.
Billy reveals how the physical symptoms have left him noticing "attributes leave".
He explains: "I don’t have the balance I used to have, I don’t have the energy I used to have. I can’t hear the way I used to hear, I can’t see as good as I used to."
"I can’t remember the way I used to remember. And they all came one at a time and they just slipped away, thank you."
But despite his heartbreaking diagnosis, he remains upbeat and admits that despite the frustrating Parkinson's symptoms he "sometimes get angry with it, but that doesn’t last long, I just collapse in laughter."
The next part of Billy's documentary Made In Scotland will air on Friday 4th January on BBC2 at 9pm.
