Honorary graduates

2010

Billy Connolly – Multi-talented stage and screen performer

Honorary degree of Doctor of Letters (DLitt) in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the performing arts and support for the work of charities.

Billy ConnollyA teller of stories, true or imaginary, Billy Connolly delivers them with unparalleled, improbable and indefinable charm. Comedian, actor, raconteur, presenter, commentator – and even a sat nav voice – he can be uncomfortably funny, but he gets away with it.

Glasgow-born Billy had a difficult childhood, in a close-knit but chaotic and tough Glasgow community, abandoned by his mother and abused by his father. Billy became a shipyard welder and served in the Territorial Army. He bought a banjo and gathered a following on the folk and comedy circuits before television unveiled him to broader audiences in 1975. Soon an international star and seasoned actor, his stage and screen work includes the BAFTA-nominated role of John Brown in the film Mrs Brown. His documentary on Canada earned a nomination for a National Television Award.

Acknowledging his own early hardship, he supports many efforts to help others, such as the charity fund of his beloved Celtic Football Club.