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“I don’t let it dictate who I am”: Billy Connolly opens up on living with Parkinson’s

<p dir="ltr">Billy Connolly has opened up about living with Parkinson’s in a rare interview as he prepares to receive one of the highest accolades from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) at the awards next week.</p> <p dir="ltr">Connolly will be receiving the BAFTA Fellowship - which is awarded to those who have made outstanding contributions in film, games and television - at the May 8 ceremony.</p> <p dir="ltr">Speaking to <a href="https://www.bafta.org/media-centre/press-releases/sir-billy-connolly-to-be-honoured-with-bafta-fellowship-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bafta.org</a>, Connolly discussed his neurodegenerative condition and how he doesn’t let it “dictate” his day-to-day life.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s really important to work, to draw, to write, to walk silly for your grandchildren,” he said. “Doing the same thing you’ve always done is good for you.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-64596dfa-7fff-1483-6149-0267844f75f0"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“I don’t let Parkinson’s dictate who I am - I just get on with it. I’ve had a very successful career and I have no regrets at all.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CdGDwIKDgfy/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CdGDwIKDgfy/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by BAFTA (@bafta)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Connolly was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2013 and retired from live performances in 2018.</p> <p dir="ltr">He still continues to record projects and make TV appearances.</p> <p dir="ltr">Although his extensive filmography has earned him a slew of awards, Connolly revealed that he was never in show-business for the accolades. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I have a collection of shiny things that I’m very proud of. But I never set out to get them or hunt them down,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">He added that he was humbled to be receiving the award, which has previously been awarded to David Attenborough, Dawn French, and Jennifer Saunders.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I don’t believe in aiming at it because if you don’t get it for whatever reason you’re all disappointed. Just do what you do well and you’ll find yourself a fellow before you know it.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-58064ccf-7fff-301b-71e4-bafe6798c4cb"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @bafta (Instagram)</em></p>

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Outrage after Betty White excluded from BAFTAs 'In Memoriam' tribute

<p>The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has been forced to explain why Betty White was noticeably missing from the "In Memoriam" segment at the 2022 ceremony. </p> <p>There was an uproar on social media as fans realised the TV legend was overlooked in the segment, which honoured dozens of movie and TV stars who died in the past year. </p> <p>Big names such as actor Sidney Poitier, singer Meat Load and director Ivan Reitman were all included, with many believing Betty White should have been given the same honour. </p> <p>"How come Betty White wasn't mentioned in Memoriam she died on 31st December 2021, that's terrible," one fan tweeted, while another wrote, "Where was the wonderful Betty White??"</p> <p>The BAFTAs have since explained why the actress was left out of the segment, telling <a href="https://www.eonline.com/news/1323038/betty-white-fans-call-out-baftas-after-she-s-missing-from-in-memoriam-segment?cmpid=rss-000000-rssfeed-365-topstories&amp;utm_source=eonline&amp;utm_medium=rssfeeds&amp;utm_campaign=rss_topstories" target="_blank" rel="noopener">E! News</a> in a statement that they have plans to honour the <em>Golden Girls</em> star during the dedicated Television Awards later in the year.</p> <p>Also noticeably absent from the <em>Peaky Blinders</em> and <em>Harry Potter</em> star Helen McCrory who died in April last year from breast cancer, aged 52. </p> <p>"Due to the number of people we would like to recognise at any one time and the limited time in which we have to do so, individuals may be featured in a television broadcast only once," the BAFTAs stated. </p> <p>"Decisions as to who is selected for inclusion are made by BAFTA's Obituaries Committee, which considers over 200 names a year."  </p> <p>Both Betty White and Helen McCrory appear on the BAFTA's website in the "In Memory Of" section. </p> <p>Betty White passed away on December 31st 2021 in her Los Angeles home at age 99. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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“You look beautiful too Will!”: Cheeky fan compliments the Duke of Cambridge at BAFTAS

<p>A video of a cheeky royal fan has gone viral after he told Prince William he “looked beautiful” as the Cambridges walked the red carpet at the BAFTAS.</p> <p>The clip has been widely shared on Twitter and captures the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge walking up the stairs outside the Royal Albert Hall ahead of the awards show.</p> <p>Duchess Kate, dressed in a recycled gold-embroidered Alexander McQueen gown, was showered in compliments from the fans until one noticed that Prince William was left out.</p> <p>“You look beautiful Kate,” fans can be heard saying.</p> <p>“So do you, Will!” another fan quickly shouted.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B8EzQvKlY9a/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B8EzQvKlY9a/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">You know that time I made @kensingtonroyal laugh??? Oh yeah...tonight at @ee @bafta ❤ #eebaftas🤵</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/matim84/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Maciek Zielinski</a> (@matim84) on Feb 2, 2020 at 10:45am PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Duchess Kate couldn’t help herself as she giggled and Prince William seemed thrilled with the compliment, saying “that’s nice, thank you!”.</p> <p>The video was first shared by Maciek Zielinski to his Instagram account.</p> <p>“You know that time I made @kensingtonroyal laugh??? Oh yeah...tonight at the BAFTAs,” he cheekily captioned the video.</p> <p>Royal fans were thrilled with the video.</p> <p>“This is the best royal video ever, thank you!” one fan commented.</p> <p>“At least they do have a sense of humour” another agreed.</p> <p>“I love his response, such a beautiful couple,” another fan said.</p> <p>The Duke and Duchess have been regulars of the BAFTAS since Prince William was made president of the British Awards in 2010.</p>

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Duchess Kate wows in white and gold frock at BAFTAS

<p>Duchess Kate has wowed in a recycled white and gold Alexander McQueen gown with eye-catching shoes as she and Prince William attended the BAFTA award ceremony as guests of honour.</p> <p>All of the attendees were urged to “dress sustainable” and rewear vintage or older pieces, which is advice the Duchess of Cambridge took on board. She first wore the gorgeous dress for a state dinner during a visit to Malaysia in 2012. </p> <p>The royal couple attended the awards ceremony for the fourth year in a row, as the Duke of Cambridge was presenting an award.</p> <p>Prince William presented the Fellowship award to Star Wars producer Kathleen Kennedy at the event and also reflected his time as BAFTA president, joking that he doesn’t know if he should be “proud or slightly alarmed” that how many winners over the last decade have “portrayed members of my own family”. </p> <p>Prince William has been president of BAFTA for the last ten years.</p> <p>He also touched on the “frustration” felt by many due to the lack of diversity at the BAFTAS.</p> <p>William said: “Both here in the UK and in many other countries across the world we are lucky to have incredible film-makers, actors, producers, directors and technicians - men and women from all backgrounds and ethnicities enriching our lives through film.</p> <p>“Yet in 2020, and not for the first time in the last few years, we find ourselves talking again about the need to do more to ensure diversity in the sector and in the awards process - that simply cannot be right in this day and age.”</p> <p>He continued: “I know that both Pippa (Harris), chair of Bafta and Amanda (Berry), Bafta CEO, share that frustration and continue to work tirelessly to ensure that creative talent is discovered and supported.</p> <p>“Bafta take this issue seriously, and following this year's nominations, have launched a full and thorough review of the entire awards process to build on their existing work and ensure that opportunities are available to everyone.”</p> <p>Scroll through the gallery to see the stunning pictures of the dynamic duo on the night.</p>

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Duchess Kate opens up about William and George’s special bond

<p>The Duchess of Cambridge has revealed that four-year-old Prince George loves bonding with his father, Prince William, over films.</p> <p>Kate, who dazzled at the BAFTA award ceremony in a <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/beauty-style/2018/02/the-duke-and-duchess-of-cambridge-steal-the-show-at-baftas/">dark green gown</a></span></strong>, chatted to guests about her son’s love of movies, which was prompted by her husband’s own interests in film.</p> <p>Speaking to Lee Unkrich, the director of the acclaimed Disney animation Coco, she said: “I'm desperate to see it. Lots of girlfriends have been to see it with their kiddies and been really impressed with it.</p> <p>“They [Prince George and Princess Charlotte] are just getting into films now, George is four-and-a-half. Paddington is definitely up there, and so is Coco now.”</p> <p>“It's great obviously because of William's interest in film, it's great to have that father-son thing.”</p> <p>Prince William, who is president of BAFTA, joked that he was going to take the directors of the latest Star Wars to task for cutting him and his brother, Prince Harry, out of their latest film, The Last Jedi.</p> <p>The royal brothers <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/movies/2017/12/prince-harry-and-prince-william-make-cameos-in-star-wars/">filmed cameos as Storm Troopers</a></span> when they visited the set two years ago.</p>

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The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge steal the show at BAFTAs

<p>The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have dazzled on the BAFTAs red carpet for the <a href="/news/news/2017/02/duchess-of-cambridge-stuns-at-baftas-in-her-most-daring-dress-yet/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">second year in a row</span></strong></a> and once again stole the show.</p> <p>The royal couple, who are expecting their third child in April, took a night away from the kids as they arrived at London’s Royal Albert Hall to celebrate the UK’s best and brightest in film and TV.</p> <p>As usual, all eyes were on Kate, who showed off her bump in a flowing, dark green Jenny Packham gown, paired with an emerald necklace and matching earrings and a black velvet clutch.</p> <p><img width="600" height="1117" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7268454/495ac62c00000578-5406373-image-m-66_1518984657767_600x1117.jpg" alt="495AC62C00000578-5406373-image -m -66_1518984657767" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>But although everyone agreed she looked stunning, some took aim at the Duchess for opting to wear colour, despite this year’s dress code of black in support of the #TimesUp movement, to show solidarity with victims of sexual harassment.</p> <p>However, there’s a reason why Kate couldn’t have followed the lead of her fellow attendees – even if she wanted to. You see, members of the royal family are not permitted to take political stances on any issues.</p> <p>Despite this, some believe the Duchess has included her own subtle nod to the movement by wearing a green dress (a colour on the Suffragette flag which represents hope) accessorised with a black velvet waistband and matching clutch.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Kensington Palace/Twitter.</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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Leonardo DiCaprio kisses Dame Maggie Smith at the BAFTA awards

<p>Hollywood heartthrob Leonardo DiCaprio, 41, and esteemed actress Dame Maggie Smith, 81, embraced the Valentine’s day sprit by sharing a kiss on live television yesterday.</p> <p>The two were attending the BAFTA awards in London when they were both caught on host Stephen Fry’s kiss cam. The actor and comedians light hearted prank swept across the crowds to pick up celebrity coupes to catch off guard, but Leo doesn’t seem the least bit hesitant to show his affection for the <em>Downton Abbey</em> star. </p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/relationships/2016/02/kids-awkwardly-expressing-their-love-on-valentines-day/">Kids awkwardly expressing their love on Valentine’s Day</a></span></em></strong></p> <p><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/lifestyle/relationships/2015/12/old-school-dating-expressions/"></a></span></em></strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/relationships/2016/01/how-to-say-i-love-you/">6 phrases more important than “I love you”</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="/lifestyle/relationships/2015/12/old-school-dating-expressions/"></a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/relationships/2016/01/secret-of-happy-couples/">7 things all happy couples do</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/lifestyle/relationships/2015/12/old-school-dating-expressions/"> </a></span></em></strong></p>

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