Billy Connolly fans are over the moon at the new photo of the comedian turning 80

Billy Connolly fans were over the moon with a rare photo of the comedian taken days before his 80th birthday.

The comedian, who announced his retirement from stand-up in 2018 after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, reached milestone age on Thursday (November 24).

After a flood of birthday wishes from fans sharing videos of their favorite routines and quotes, the comedian’s name started trending on Twitter.

Fans then noticed that earlier this week a photo of Connolly – nicknamed The Big Yin – was shared on social media.

The picture was shared on social media by @Drumview87, who wrote: “Taken this week, Billy Connolly enjoys mince ‘n’ tatties by the fire at a Loch Lomond pub.”

Scottish tweeters indicated that the pub was the Oak Tree Inn in Balmaha.

“Happy Birthday to the funniest guy on the planet. Hope I look as good as the Big Yin at 80,” wrote @JamieDunnEsq.

“What a great photo – my heart warms up!” added @sienamilan33, and @dharley508 wrote: “Nice to see Big Yin looking good.”

Others called the Glaswegian a “top guy”, a “legend” and “the funniest guy in the world”.

Speech at the presentation of his new art collection Born on a rainy day In 2020, Connolly said of his stand-up career, “It’s been nice and it’s been nice to be good at it. It was the first thing I was ever good at.”

After first being treated for symptoms of Parkinson’s disease in 2013, Connolly refused to shy away from his illness and instead, in typical fashion, incorporated it into his routines.

Connolly, who was a folk musician in the late 1960s, began his stand-up career in the 1970s. In 2017 he was knighted.