The Interview Eric Idle, comedian: Nothing is off limits in comedy
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Apr 5, 2026 
Eric Idle, English comedian, writer and musician who helped found Monty Python and created Spamalot. He chats about pushing comedic boundaries and resisting censorship. He recalls the troupe’s surreal origins, the rise of Monty Python in TV and film, and how music and writing shaped his career.
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George Harrison Mortgaged Everything To Fund The Life Of Brian
- George Harrison personally financed The Life Of Brian after studios and backers refused, enabling the film to be completed.
- Eric Idle says Harrison mortgaged his house and offices to raise the cash and underwrote the movie's production.
Boarding School Funded By RAF Shaped His Early Life
- Eric Idle grew up partly in a boarding school paid for by the RAF after his father died, which shaped his childhood and access to university.
- He credits the RAF-funded schooling with enabling his later attendance at Cambridge.
First Cambridge Break Came Via John Cleese Sketch
- Eric Idle joined Cambridge revue after being recommended and performed a sketch written by John Cleese as his first piece.
- He then learned to sing comic songs doing Bill Oddie roles at Edinburgh and on I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again.