SIR Billy Connolly’s wife has paid tribute to her “genius” husband for continuing to work despite his Parkinson’s diagnosis.
Pamela Stephenson told of her pride in the funnyman for forging a new career as an artist after retiring from stand-up comedy.
Connolly, 81, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease 12 years ago after a doctor spotted him walking strangely through the lobby of a hotel in Los Angeles.
He announced his retirement from live performances in 2018 but has continued to make TV documentaries as well as creating his popular drawings.
Stephenson, 74, said Connolly has an “extraordinary brain” and still makes her and their children laugh at their home in the Florida Keys.
She said: “I try to keep as little stress on Billy as possible.
“He is still working. He has stopped performing live but he’s become an artist and he does extraordinary drawings so he’s always having exhibitions and he still does TV stuff.
“He has an extraordinary brain. He speaks truth, he continues to blow me away with the things that come out of his mouth.
“My kids say ‘Mum leave the comedy to Dad’. Billy is a genius.”
New Zealand-born Stephenson spoke to the Florida Keys Weekly Podcast about how the couple came to settle in the area after living in New York for many years.
She told how she bought a house in Key West without telling Connolly because she wanted him to live in a warmer climate after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s.
The Glasgow-born comic was delighted when she told him about the purchase because he had been there many times on fishing trips.
Stephenson said: “After we moved to New York Billy was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
“At that point, with the extremes of temperature in New York, we decided to go somewhere where we could really de-stress and really enjoy our environment.
“I came to Key West having never been here before and I thought ‘This is an environment where people can be who they are and nobody is going to bother them’.
“I went into a real estate agent’s office and I bought a house right away.
“When I went back to New York I said to Billy ‘I’ve just bought a house in Key West’. He said ‘I love Key West, I fish down there all the time’.
“I didn’t know. He went off on these fishing trips and I didn’t know where he was.
“So it was mutually a very good idea.”
Stephenson, who became a psychologist after a career in comedy, met Connolly during the filming of an episode of BBC sketch show Not The Nine O’clock News and they have been married for 35 years.
The doting wife revealed the secret to their long, happy relationship was spending large periods of time apart.
She said: “Don’t spend too much time together. Look at our lives, Billy was touring, I was touring, so we managed to maintain our individuality and then it would be exciting to be together again.
“That happened most of our lives and it still happens because we still have our individual interests.
“You don’t want to get so connected that you are always finishing each other’s sentences. You have got to maintain who you are and be comfortable with each other going off and doing their thing.”
STEVE DAVIS would not bet against Ronnie O’Sullivan winning a record-extending ninth UK Championship, saying: Write off the Rocket at your peril!
Defending champion O’Sullivan, 48, tackles Barry Hawkins tomorrow in the opening session of the nine-day Triple Crown in York.
His last match was a 4-3 defeat to Xiao Guodong at the Champion of Champions in Bolton though he was 3-0 up and cruising.
In seven tournament appearances this year – since losing in the Crucible quarter-finals to Stuart Bingham – the seven-time world champion has only made TWO semi-finals.
Some might wonder if O’Sullivan, with a flick of extra grey hair these days, is on the slide in his 33rd year as a professional.
But his form is deceptive because big-money events, like the £250,000 Gold Ball showdown in Saudi Arabia, get his juices flowing and he seems to perform better.
Six-time UK champion Davis, 67, told SunSport: “Ronnie is still very good at getting ready for the bigger events.
“Maybe it’s the bigger events that spur him on more than ever before now.
“He has been at the top of the game longer than me and Stephen Hendry were – together! If you added our years up, he has been there longer than us.
“I don’t think me or Stephen are qualified to talk about what it’s like to have played the game at the top of the tree as long as he has. And how that must play with your levels of enthusiasm.
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“I think it’s wonderful that he’s still playing top-class snooker. He could very easily be forgiven for jacking it in and saying I’m bored with it.
“The fact he keeps getting ready for events is incredible. It shows how much he loves the game and he enjoys the thrill – even though sometimes he might not say that.”
O’Sullivan – who beat Ding Junhui in the 2023 final – has won 41 ranking titles since 1992 and Davis said: “It doesn’t matter if he wins another major. His position in the game is right there at the top.
“I still think he has majors in him. I don’t think I’ve seen anybody more likely to be able to win events – not just compete in them – into their 50s.
“He keeps himself very fit and is pushing the tide back wonderfully. It will never be a surprise if he wins. Maybe when he’s 55 it will be.
“Anybody that decides to bet against Ronnie O’Sullivan can look very foolish at the end of the day when he absolutely flies and makes the game look like the genius he is.
“We are not at the stage where you can say he’s over-the-hill. Nowhere near that.
“He can still totally outplay somebody on the day. If the stars align, he’s easily capable of winning the UK.”
China’s Zhao Xintong – playing in his first major event since serving a 20-month corruption ban – plays former world champion Shaun Murphy in the other match tomorrow afternoon.
In the evening session, which starts at 7pm, Ding takes on Robert Milkins while qualifier David Gilbert is up against Guodong.
FROM his lightning breaks to blasts at officials, Ronnie O'Sullivan has fired snooker into the spotlight.
The seven-time world champion makes almost as big an impact away from the table as on it.
O’Sullivan has three children – two daughters and a son.
And the Rocket’s on-off relationship with British actress Laila Rouass has also hit the headlines.
He has opened up on battles with his weight and addiction.
While the controversial cueist reckons he wasted NINE YEARS of his career by partying too hard.
Despite being worth £14million, O’Sullivan is renowned for his love of canal boats and snubbing flashy cars.
His rivalry with fellow star Judd Trump has been branded ‘snooker’s greatest feud’.
And Ali Carter had his nose knocked out of joint by the Rocket in their infamous ‘Snotgate’ row.
Check out all our latest Ronnie O’Sullivan articles.
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