Billy Connolly honoured at National TV Awards
- Billy Connolly has picked up the Special Recognition prize at The National TV Awards 2016.
- The comedian joked 'This is the best laxative I've ever known in my life!'
- Peter Kay, who won Best Comedy for Car Share, dedicated his award to Connolly
Billy Connolly was honoured with the Special Recognition prize at the National Television Awards on Wednesday evening.
The stand-up comic was recognised for his services to comedy, with his close friend Dustin Hoffman introducing him to the stage and presenting him with the award.
Connolly has been performing comedy for over 40 years, having given up his job as a welder in the Glasgow shipyards in the late 1960s to pursue a career in music and comedy.
Hoffman - whom Connolly worked with on the 2012 film Quartet - said: "I'm delighted to be here tonight to pay tribute to a man whose work I've always admired and whose company I always enjoy. It's been my good fortune to direct him in a film and a great honour to count him as a friend."
On accepting the award, Connolly said: "'Thank you very much. This is the best laxative I've ever known in my life!". He joked, "I'd like to thank the Catholic Church for the rhythm method of birth control without which I wouldn't be here at all", and - commenting on his career - said: "It's been a grand old rock and roll all the way."
Earlier in the evening Peter Kay had dedicated his win - Best Comedy for Car Share - to the comedian, saying "I'd like to dedicate this award to Billy Connolly, my comedy hero." Connolly joked of this: "Peter Kay, you should have given me that thing. Cheapo. That guy dedicated it to me then took it away. Bastard!'" This resulted in Kay rushing on the stage to hand over the prize, which prompted Connolly to label him a "limelight grabber".
Continuing his speech, Connolly, who was named the best stand-up comedian of all time in a 2010 TV poll, said: "There's so many people I have to thank; my management, my agency, my parents and lovely daughters... who are here. To Dustin, for putting me in his movie - thank you all from the bottom of my heart."
He also added: "I'd like to particularly thank British comedians, the standard of which is rising all the time. From Chic Murray and Max Wall right through to Reeves & Mortimer. I love you all and thank you very much from the bottom of my heart."
Later backstage, Connolly spoke about his Parkinson's disease. He said: "It's managing me. It's kind of weird, it creeps along and crawls along. It's the first thing I think about in the morning, so I try to make the second thing I think about more interesting."
Connolly is currently performing his live show - High Horse - in London. Due to very strong ticket sales, another four dates have been added in February. Tickets
Below is a video of Billy Connolly and Dustin Hoffman talking backstage: