Eric Idle has weighed in on the topic of cancel culture, and seems to be much less fussed about it than his Monty Python co-star John Cleese.
The 82-year-old comedian and songwriter talked on BBC Radio 4’s This Cultural Life show this morning about the legendary comedy group and what to expect from his upcoming farewell tour kicking off in Birmingham in September, which will be his first solo UK tour in 52 years.
Always Look On the Bright Side of Life LIVE – named after the famous song – is billed as an ‘evening of rude songs, some singalongs, inappropriate remarks, reminiscences of fame, fortune and rare footage, plus a Virtual Band and surprise guests’.
Reflecting on his five-decade career Eric revealed he doesn’t worry about ‘cancel culture’ in 2025, while admitting some Monty Python songs are a no-go zone.
‘Sometimes I’ll ask my daughter [Lily, a 35-year-old artist] or my goddaughter. I’ll say, “Can I say these things?” And they’ll say, “Yeah, that’s OK’” or not,’ he said.
‘But I don’t worry about [being cancelled]. I’m not saying terribly controversial things; I’m trying to make them laugh. If they don’t laugh then that’s a failure.’
He explained: ‘You can’t sing some of my songs [now]. You can’t sing I Like Chinese, you can’t do that anymore. So there’s one or two songs. But I write new ones, which is quite a nice challenge.’
The song has lyrics including, ‘I like Chinese / they only come up to your knees,’ and, ‘They’re cute and they’re cuddly and they’re ready to please.’
I like Chinese was performed during O2 variety show Monty Python Live (Mostly) as recently as in 2014, and last year Eric performed a partial version on January 18 for San Francisco Skrechfest according to Concert Archives, though it isn’t clear which bits were omitted.
Eric wrote many of the Pythons’ musical hits – Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, The Galaxy Song, and Bruces’ Philosopher’s Song – as well as the medieval stage musical Spamalot.
Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life is one of the most popular musical numbers at English funerals, which makes Eric proud.
‘I find that very moving. It really pleases me that people choose it at a very solemn and sad moment in their lives,’ he said.
Elsewhere in the episode, Eric revealed his greatest influences were comedy duo Morcambe and Wise – who he first watched aged 5 – as well as Peter Cook and Dudley Moore’s Beyond The Fringe sketches, and perhaps surprisingly, Beatle legend George Harrison.
The Something and Here Comes The Sun writer – who died in 2001 aged 58 from lung cancer – tapped Eric on the shoulder 50 years ago in LA after a screening of The Holy Grail in The Directors Guild of America.
‘We talked all night and we bonded. Looking back, I think we played similar roles in our groups. He had two big powerful blocks, Lennon and McCartney, and we were the two individual ones who bounced in between,’ Eric reflected.
He also recounted the time George personally saved The Life Of Brian – Monty Python’s most revered film – after it was commissioned and then pulled by EMI Films over religious concerns.
The comedy group -John Cleese, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Terry Gillam, Eric Idle, and Graham Chapman – sued EMI Films, and then in 1978 guitarist George saved the day, co-founding HandMade Films just to see it made.
‘He said, “I will find you the money,” recalled Eric, adding: ‘He mortgaged his house. Mortgaged his money and put it all on The Life of Brian.’
George didn’t too get involved in the making of the movie – other than a brief cameo as Mr. Papadopoulos – but found $4.5million (£3.3mil) simply just so he could see the film.
‘I think it was the rest of his money,’ Eric said.
Eric also explained how a lack of self-censorship is where comedy comes from.
‘I find myself saying funny things. Comedians lack a sense of censorship and they say things they shouldn’t really at the right time. [At school] I would say something to make the whole form laugh and I would get beaten,’ he said.
‘I find it interesting being a comedian. You find yourself saying these awful things. You say them before you’ve thought them out loud. But it’s the same for the audience. They find themselves laughing.
‘For example at George’s funeral I found myself saying, “I’d like to thank Malborough [cigarettes] otherwise we wouldn’t be here today.”‘
For Eric when it comes to comedy ‘nothing’ is off limits.
‘Because [comedy] the subconscious examining things,’ he explained, adding: ‘Python was particularly good at that, not allowing yourself to be censored.’
Eric also told the unlikely story of his pancreatic cancer diagnosis, which made him laugh out loud.
‘Before I had pancreatic cancer, I went to my doctor and said, “I’ve got to get rid of a character very quickly — what’s the quickest way?” and he said, “Pancreatic cancer, you may only have three weeks or three months”,’ he recalled.
‘And then, 12 years later, we’re looking at a screen and I said, “What’s that?” And [the doctor] said “pancreatic cancer”. And I laughed, because I thought it was very funny.’
Thankfully Eric’s cancer was spotted in a blood test early on and within ten days it was removed.
‘I feel like I had a reprieve. I feel now that life is really great, and every day is really great. I think that’s how you really should live. A day at a time. We pretend we will be here forever, but we aren’t going to be here forever,’ he said.
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