Despite making comebacks after the birth of both of her children, in 2006 she announced her retirement as a principal dancer at the Royal Ballet because of injuries to her body and physical stress.

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His mother, Mamie Connolly, soon tired of looking after two children on her own and walked out on both of them when Billy was barely four years old.

CNN: Billy Connolly: From welder to wit

The thought of his mother returning to their home village in search of her children makes Bodner both sad and proud.

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Madonna visited the nation with her children, including son David Banda and daughter Chifundo James, both of whom were adopted from Malawi.

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