In 2004, during a stand-up comedy performance at the Carling Apollo in Hammersmith, Billy Connolly faced intense backlash from his audience after making controversial jokes about the distressing situation surrounding Ken Bigley.

Bigley, a British engineer, had been kidnapped in Baghdad nearly three weeks prior, along with two American colleagues, by a militant group led by the notorious terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

This group had already executed the two Americans, and they issued threats regarding Bigley’s life.

Connolly’s attempt at humour did not resonate well with the audience, leading to a notably cold reception. He ventured into sensitive territory by making light of Bigley’s situation, saying: “Perhaps I shouldn’t be saying this… aren’t you the same as me? Don’t you wish they would get on with it?”

The remark was met with boos from the audience.

Connolly went on to make a rather disparaging joke about Bigley’s Thai wife, Sombat, suggesting with inappropriate levity: “What is it with him and that young Asian wife?”

A member of the audience, Richard Williams, said many people were shocked by the comments.

“One man stood up and shouted: ‘You’re talking about a man’s life, Billy’,” he said. According to Mr Williams, the comedian replied with a four-letter expletive.

“The man did sit down, but there were a few boos when Connolly made jokes about Mr Bigley’s wife”, said Mr Williams, a photographer.

Weeks later, Bigley was executed in the same manner as his colleagues, with videos of his beheading being posted online in a move that shocked the UK.

He had begged then Prime Minister Tony Blair for help on camera, pleading: “I need you to help me now, Blair, because you are the only person on God’s earth who can help me.”

81-year-old Connolly, diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2013, recently shared that he is enjoying retirement while fishing and drawing at his home in the Florida Keys.

Parkinson’s is a brain disorder that causes unintended or uncontrollable movements, such as shaking, stiffness, and difficulty with balance and coordination. Often, the disease can become more severe over time.

Five years after his diagnosis, Connolly retired from his stand-up career due to the increasing difficulties of the illness.