Comedian Peter Kay has delivered a poignant and worrying update on the health of his comedy hero, the legendary Scottish performer Billy Connolly.
An Emotional Tribute on Radio 2
Speaking during a special interview with Sara Cox on BBC Radio 2, which aired on Monday evening, Kay was asked about his comic inspirations. The Bolton-born funnyman explained he felt fortunate to have met all his heroes, including Connolly. His comments were met with warm applause from the audience at Manchester's Lyric Theatre.
"I met Billy Connolly. I still keep in touch with Billy Connolly now and he’s not so good now," Kay revealed with evident emotion. He added, "but he would still message and that." Kay went on to pay a powerful tribute to Connolly's influence, stating, "I think a lot of comedians in this country would not be doing what they did if it weren’t for him."
Living with Parkinson's Disease
Billy Connolly, now 82, was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2013. The condition, along with hearing loss, led him to retire from live stand-up performances in 2018. Kay's update underscores the ongoing challenges the beloved comic faces.
Beyond Connolly, Kay shared another cherished memory involving the late, great Ronnie Barker. He described how he wrote to Barker expressing his love for the classic sitcom Porridge. To his astonishment, Barker replied in character as inmate Norman Fletcher from Her Majesty’s Prison Slade.
"He wrote this two-page letter all about being in prison," Kay recalled. "I were crying me eyes out."
Music Memories and Charity Work
Kay also spoke about his deep love for music and a memorable encounter with his idol, Billy Joel. He recounted travelling to Glasgow in 2007 with a stack of Joel's second-hand LPs for the singer to sign. Joel humorously annotated each one, writing comments like "this one’s cr*p" and "this was to pay for divorce number one."
The Radio 2 appearance was part of the promotion for Kay's new book, 'Peter Kay's Diary: The Monthly Memoir Of a Boy From Bolton'. During the wide-ranging chat, Kay also discussed his extended tour, with proceeds from the final 'Better Late Than Never' shows next year set to benefit 12 cancer charities.
He briefly touched on his own health, joking about a lifelong battle to lose weight. "Only for the first 48 years, and they lied," he told Cox, before acknowledging the importance of health later in life.
