One of the most shocking moments in this year’s Comic Relief came from seeing a recorded clip Billy Connolly.
The legendary Scottish comedian has been dealt a double blow of Parkinson’s disease and cancer, and has changed dramatically in recent years.
But while it’s hard not to feel upset about what Connolly is going through, ITV have a perfect antidote.
Billy Connolly & Me is, as the channel has put it, ‘a celebration’ of the man and his wicked wisecracking words, which have given him a career spanning five decades.
The one-off special intersperses clips of The Big Yin’s stand-up with interview snippets from the man himself, reflecting on his years in showbiz.
As the title suggests, there are also contributions from fans – including some rather famous ones – sharing their favourite memories of the funnyman.
“I gave birth to Billy Connolly,” Emma from Herefordshire says, rather confusingly, before clarifying: “My first labour, I had every pain relief known to man. The second time round, I started by watching some Billy videos, and I laughed my second child into the world.”
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There are also anecdotes from the likes of Judi Dench, Eric Idle, David Tennant and more, talking about how Connolly entered their lives.
Andy Murray says: “We used to listen to Billy Connolly CDs when I was a kid, normally while I was travelling to tennis tournaments up and down the country with my brother and my mum.”
Billy Connolly & Me offers a perfect reminder of the Scot’s funniest moments – and why he means so much to us all.
ITV, 9pm
