Sir Michael Parkison apologised for upsetting Sir Billy Connelly with comments about his health.
Last summer, the chat show legend had claimed his friend – who he has been to since the 1970s – didn’t recognise him at a dinner they had together, which the 76-year-old comic – who has Parkinson’s disease – and his wife Pamela disputed.
Speaking during his upcoming appearance on ‘Piers Morgan’s Life Stories’ – which airs on Saturday (01.06.19) on ITV – Michael revealed he wrote a letter to his pal which said: "There is no way in this world I would hurt you, or deliberately demean you."
He added: "I got a lovely reply, saying, ‘Let’s go back to how we were, old friends.’ "
Parkinson has suggested that Billy’s wife was more upset than he was, and he reiterated he "would never deliberately hurt" his friend, who was diagnosed with the incurable disorder – which leaves him shaking and struggling to move – in 2013
He said: "I don’t think it was Billy so much as Pamela. I would never deliberately hurt Billy at all. When I was making the observation I was making, that he’d slowed down a bit, it was not a diagnosis. It was the observation of a friend to another friend.
"It was an awards thing. He was on heavy medication and it got to the stage I was with him. And he made a very softly spoken speech. As we were leaving, he stopped me, and put his hands on my shoulder, and said to me, ‘How long have we known each other?’
"And I thought, maybe wrongly, that he didn’t really know who I was. I could be wrong, and I hope I was. I think he was trying to remind himself."
Earlier this year, Billy opened up about his health struggles and sadly revealed that he feels like his life is "slipping away" from him, though he insists he’s not scared of the prospect of dying.
He said at the time: "My life, it’s slipping away and I can feel it and I should. I’m 76, I’m near the end. I’m a damn sight nearer the end than I am the beginning.
"But it doesn’t frighten me, it’s an adventure and it is quite interesting to see myself slipping away."
Michael Parkinson apologised to Billy Connolly over health comments
