HAILED as the UK’s most influential comedian, voted best comedian of all time by Channel 4, and included as one of the Huffington Post’s favourite UK comedians Billy Connolly is bringing his 2016 High Horse tour to the South coast this November.

The 'Big Yin' will play two dates at the Bournemouth International Centre, on Monday 28 & Tuesday 29 November.

After an apprenticeship as a welder in his hometown of Glasgow, he became a professional performer in 1962, forming “The Humblebums” band with Gerry Rafferty, before pursuing a solo.

Aside from starring in numerous films and TV series, Billy has toured worldwide continuously for the last 50 years, performing to an audience of over 10,000,000.

He was awarded a CBE in 2003, was given the Freedom of the City of Glasgow in 2010, and was named Britain’s most career as a comedian influential stand-up comic in 2012.

Perhaps best known for his moving performance as the loyal servant John Brown in the highly acclaimed Mrs Brown, Connolly’s other film credits include Gulliver’s Travels, The X-Files: I Want To Believe, Fido, Garfield 2, Lemony Snicket: A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Last Samurai and Timeline.

His previous film credits include Peter Kosminsky’s White Oleander, Troy Duffy’s The Boondock Saints and the sequel All Saint’s Day, Stephen Metcalfe’s Beautiful Joe and Barry Levinson’s An Everlasting Piece, Stanley Tucci’s The Impostors, Crossing The Line with Liam Neeson, the Muppet movie version of Treasure Island, Gabriel And Me, Gentleman’s Relish and The Man Who Sued God, as well as the acclaimed BBC productions Down Among The Big Bad Boys and The Life And Crimes Of Deacon Brodie.

His voice is also featured on the animated films Pocahontas and Open Season and the Disney Pixar animation Brave.

Most recently, he has appeared in Quartet, directed by Dustin Hoffman, in the three-part adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, directed by Peter Jackson, and will be seen in the upcoming What We Did On Our Holiday alongside David Tennant and Rosamund Pike.

On television, Billy featured in Head of The Class, which was later spun off into his own series, Billy.

He hosted Billy Connolly’s World Tour of Scotland, a six-part series documenting a tour of his homeland, a theme continued later in his World Tours of New Zealand, Australia and England, Ireland and Wales. Billy has hosted television series Journey to the Edge of the World and Route 66, as well as other specials such as Pale Blue Scottish Person, Ascot in the Arctic, The Bigger Picture and An Audience with Billy Connolly.

More recently he has presented the two-part series Billy Connolly’s Big Send Off

Billy is now also recognised as an artist, as original artwork by Billy has been displayed in various exhibitions throughout the UK since 2012.

Tickets are on general sale Friday 15 July from 9am. Call BH Live Tickets on 0844 576 3000†, book online at www.bhlivetickets.co.uk or visit the Bournemouth Pavilion/BIC box office.