Billy Connolly "sees the fun side" of Parkinson's, says comic

Sir Billy Connolly tries to remain optimistic in his fight against Parkinson's, says an old friend.

His compatriot Kevin Bloody Wilson, 72, also insisted that the Scottish star was still in good health.

The Australian added, "Billy's nature makes him pbad.

"Billy is a funny kid and he sees the funny side.

"He's still doing shows, and I think Billy, like all of us, will be playing live until we die."

Wilson said that his buddy's recent comments claiming he was "almost at the end" have been taken out of context.

Connolly, 76, was diagnosed in 2012 and was photographed with a fragile and unobtrusive mine.

But at the beginning of April, he was photographed while visiting New York.

Connolly has had his prostate removed as a result of a cancer diagnosis several years ago and joked about his trembling hands.

The comic admitted in a BBC documentary in January that his brain was degenerative meant that he was now "on the wrong side of the telescope of life".

He said, "My life is spinning and I can feel it.

"But it does not scare me – it's an adventure, and it's pretty interesting to see me escape, while bits and pieces escape and leave me, talents and attributes go into it.

"It's like I'm getting ready for something, another adventure, which is above the hill.

"I have all this material to lose first, and then I'll be in the shadow of the hill for the next episode in the spirit world."

• Kevin Bloody Wilson is in Los Angeles for a promotional show at the El Rey Theater on Tuesday, April 23. Tickets can be purchased here. He plans an American tour in the coming months. For more information, see this page.