Billy Connolly has Parkinson

Comic and actor Billy Connolly is being treated for the "initial symptoms" of Parkinson's Disease and has had surgery for prostate cancer.

Sir Bob Geldof said his friend Billy Connolly is "as strong as an ox" and backed the comedian not to be deterred by the initial stages of Parkinson's disease and his surgery for prostate cancer.

Sir Bob told Channel 5 News: "Pam [his wife] and Bill are great mates. Hes as strong as an ox mentally from everything hes been through as a kid. So I dont think this will deter him from being that individual that we know.

Put simply Billy Connolly is a much loved comedy legend and we are sorry to hear that he is being treated for the early symptoms of Parkinson's.

One person every hour will be diagnosed with Parkinson's in the UK, despite this it remains a little understood condition and we salute Billy's bravery in speaking out about his condition at this difficult time.

There are 127,000 people in the UK, like Billy, living with Parkinson's. Parkinson's can be a very difficult condition to diagnose, as no two people with Parkinson's are the same, with symptoms - such a slowness of movement or tremor - changing on a daily, or even hourly basis.

Many people, with the right medication, continue to live a full and active live with Parkinson's, but for some, it can be life changing and it is vital that Billy gets the support he needs to live with this complex condition.

Billy Connolly, who is being treated for the "initial symptoms" of Parkinson's Disease, admitted earlier this year that he had started to forget lines during performances.

Speaking about it, he said: "This is f*****g terrifying. I feel like I'm going out of my mind."

There is no cure for the disease but symptoms can be controlled using a combination of drugs, therapies and occasionally surgery.

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Billy Connolly has Parkinson