Recently, he was celebrated as the most influential comedian in history.
However, it seems that 69-year-old Billy Connolly doesn’t always connect with his audience.
Reports indicate that the comedian, known as Big Yin, has cut his performances short twice in a span of just eight days due to heckling during his ongoing tour.
Last Saturday, Connolly exited the stage early, having done so a week prior as well.
This unexpected departure has caused fans to speculate that Connolly, who is married to 62-year-old Pamela Stephenson, may be becoming weary of performing.
One audience member remarked that the Scottish comedian appeared increasingly irritated by the number of people entering and leaving the auditorium during the two-hour performance.
He mentioned: ‘Initially, Billy tried to lighten the mood, encouraging the audience to sing when a group of guys returned from the bar. However, this only seemed to prompt more people to get up.’
‘Eventually, he said: ‘I’ll tell you one more story’ when someone shouted out. Then he added: ‘Well, actually, no, that’s it, I’ll finish now.’ By then, I think he had simply had enough. He took a bow and that was the end.’
Mr. Tye continued: ‘He’s an older gentleman, not as young anymore. He was starting to lose his train of thought while telling his stories and growing increasingly frustrated. Though he didn’t display his anger overtly, it was evident that he was annoyed.’
Following this, the star curtailed his performance.
Audience member Alan Wright, 50, who works for the Wildlife Trust, stated: ‘He was recounting a joke about strokes, sharing that members of his family had experienced them, when someone in the crowd yelled “you’re shit”. He concluded the story and walked off.’
‘It was surprising that he didn’t return, and it created a strange atmosphere since everyone was discussing it afterward, expressing disappointment.’
‘He’s a major comedy icon for me, but I think it’s fair to say he seems to be growing tired of comedy, as that’s the vibe he conveyed.’
A female audience member commented: ‘It was awful. I couldn’t believe it, given that I have a 14-month-old child and I’m pregnant, I don’t get out much and was looking forward to seeing him.’
‘It felt like such an anti-climax, and I felt he should have been accustomed to hecklers. I’ve seen other comedians handle hecklers much better.’
Fans who attended the performances also took to social media to express their criticism of Connolly.
One remarked: ‘For me, he’s long past his prime. Hope those who missed out on a complete show from Billy Connolly got some compensation for their tickets, or did Billy and his team make off with the money as well?’
Another stated: ‘It’s a pity he couldn’t deliver. I found it to be a rather lazy act filled with an awful lot of “filler”.’
‘I felt he either wasn’t that interested or hadn’t prepared sufficient material.’
Yet another user, under the name steak pie, commented: ‘I’d heard much of that material before, and he seemed to be checking his watch quite often as if he had somewhere else to be, then he exited abruptly after a heckle!’
Mr. Connolly’s tour is set to conclude next month in March, and he has previously expressed his disdain for hecklers.
He stated recently: ‘I detest hecklers. I can’t say a single good word about them. When you leave the club circuit for concert halls, they should no longer exist.’
‘There’s a basic level of respect that should indicate that tickets are expensive and the venue is different. People have cleaned up to come here, so they should sit down, shut up, and pay attention.’
A representative for Mr. Connolly chose not to comment.
by Robbo Green
