Billy Connolly reveals he was "preyed upon" during hellish childhood
21 March 2023, 15:00 | Updated: 21 March 2023, 15:03
Billy Connolly reveals the harrowing details of his relationship with family members growing up in new series.
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"My life at home was hell," Connolly revealed. "There was awful things going on. I was being preyed upon and my aunt was a nightmare.
"If I went home from school, she'd be there. I couldn't sit and do my homework with her roaming about.
"At six years old, I learnt a thwack on the hand or even a smack in the mouth is overrated as a pain creator - it's not the worst thing you're ever going to feel."
Connolly's show was first released on Gold in early 2022, reflecting on his life and career after retiring in 2018 due to his struggle with Parkinson's disease.
The 79-year-old comedian goes on to discuss the humiliation he endured from his aunts growing up.
"My aunties could f***ing inflict twice the pain without lifting their hands - by humiliation. All the time: 'Stupid. You're thick, you're stupid.' To humiliate someone is a desperately bad and wrong thing; it's worse than hitting somebody.
"Humiliation is forever. It takes you so long to get over it; it takes your whole life."
Connolly also shared the struggles he faced in school with teachers growing up.
"School was very violent indeed. I had a psychopath called Miss McDonald - Rosie McDonald. Big Rosie, they called her, as if she deserved affection.
"Her specialty was placing pencils under your knuckles, between your knuckles and the desk, so as to induce extra pain when she whacked you. She would thrash me for nothing, for showing interest in pigeons outside the window, for glancing away when she was talking. She was a sadistic b*****d."
Connolly has previously spoken out about about his mother leaving him when he was aged three and being sexually assaulted by his father.
