Sir Billy Connolly has firmly dismissed Sir Michael Parkinson’s claim that the 75-year-old comedian was no longer capable of recognising him.
On Saturday, the broadcaster described an “awkward dinner” he had with his close friend Sir Billy, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2013.
“[His] wonderful brain has dulled,” said Sir Michael, 83. “I saw him recently – he’s now living in America – and it was very sad, because I was presenting him with a prize at an award ceremony […] We had an awkward dinner together, because I wasn’t quite sure if he knew who I was or not.”
Speaking on ITV’s Saturday Morning with James Martin, Parkinson continued: “To know someone as long as I knew and loved Billy […] it was an awful thing to contemplate, that that had been taken from him in a sense.”
Now the comedian has hit back at Sir Michael’s claim that the 75-year-old comedian was no longer capable of recognising him. In a direct response to Sir Michael’s comments, Sir Billy says: “I would recognise Parky if he was standing behind me – in a diving suit.”
Friends and colleagues of Sir Billy are surprised by Parkinson’s remarks this weekend and insist he is “fine and well”.
