All joking aside, newly knighted Sir Billy rises to the defence of England
HE refused to vote in the Scottish independence referendum, saying he had never been a nationalist or a patriot.
Now Sir Billy Connolly has expressed anger at Scots who ‘write off England’.
Affectionately known in his homeland as the ‘Big Yin’, Sir Billy, 75, said: ‘I’m the least patriotic man in the world.’
He told the Radio Times: ‘I do love Scotland but if the love for your country is all you have, you’re in a desperate state. I dislike people that write England off because they’re Scottish. It’s unfair and brutal.’
The Glasgow-born comedian and actor made his typically outspoken comments six months after he received a knighthood from the Duke of Cambridge at Buckingham Palace for services to entertainment and charity.
Sir Billy, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease four-and-a-half years ago and has battled prostate cancer, admitted his illness meant the ceremony was not straight-forward.
He said: ‘It was a big bit nerve-racking. You don’t want to make an a*** of it. You think, “Oh God, don’t trip”, or worry you might make a rude noise.
‘Since I’ve got Parkinson’s, I’m a bit dodgy getting down on one knee – I don’t do it all that well. And then I had to walk backwards to a certain point, but I managed it fine.
‘I’m sure Prince William will think I’m a mentally ill person. I answered his questions in the most stupid fashion just through nerves.’
The comedian and actor will return to the small screen next week presenting an arts programme about the English painter Stanley Spencer.
It sees him join art critic Gus Casely-Hayford on a
‘It’s unfair and brutal’
walking tour of Cookham, Berkshire, to shed light on the artist’s influences.
But whereas viewers will most likely enjoy the hour- long episode from their living rooms, Sir Billy takes a more laid-back approach.
He said: ‘There’s no sofa. I watch telly in bed.
‘We live in a cosy place. On the walls are portraits of Elvis and Mick Jagger, a painting of the Beatles on a roof in Savile Row and a photo of me meeting Obama, which pleases me greatly.’
And when asked the reason for his enduring 28-year marriage to comedian turned psychologist Pamela Stephenson, he said: ‘There’s no secret to it at all. If you listen to the song The Glory of Love: “You’ve got to give a little, take a little/Sometimes let your poor heart break a little/That’s the story of, and that’s the glory of love.” It’s all in there.’
Despite different viewing habits, he said the couple watched the Oscars together eating macaroni cheese.
Tate Britain’s Great Art Walks will be broadcast on Sky Arts on April 17 at 9pm.