John Cleese cracks joke at expense of Monty Python co-star Eric Idle: ‘We always loathed each other’

Monty Python actor John Cleese has responded to comments by his co-star Eric Idle in which Idle criticised the group’s management for its dwindling finances.

In a post that initially surprised many on social media, Cleese said he and Idle have “always loathed and despised each other”.

In a post on X/Twitter, he said the rest of the Pythons disagreed with Idle’s statements about Holly Gilliam, who is the manager and daughter of their fellow Python star Terry Gilliam, who Idle blamed for having to work at the age of 80.

“I have worked with Holly for the last 10 years, and I find her very efficient, clear-minded, hard-working, and pleasant to have dealings with,” Fawlty Towers star Cleese said in response to Idle’s comments.

“Michael Palin has asked me to to make it clear that he shares this opinion. Terry Gilliam is also in agreement with this.”

When asked about his views on Idle, Cleese wrote on X/Twitter: “We always loathed and despised each other, but it’s only recently that the truth has begun to emerge.” He later clarified in a follow-up post he meant this as a joke.

Meanwhile, Idle shared that he and the Fawlty Towers star hadn’t seen each other in years, as fans wondered if the spat was all a gag.

When a social media follower said the revelation made him sad, Idle said: “Why. It makes me happy,” and added: “I haven’t seen Cleese in seven years.”

The back-and-forth between the former co-stars began last week (10 February), when Idle said he still had to work for his living at the age of 80 despite the troupe’s success.

“I don’t know why people always assume we’re loaded,” he wrote. “Python is a disaster. Spamalot made money 20 years ago. I have to work for my living. Not easy at this age.”

He went on to name and shame the person he felt was responsible for his financial plight: “We own everything we ever made in Python and I never dreamed that at this age the income streams would tail off so disastrously.

“But I guess if you put a Gilliam child in as your manager you should not be so surprised. One Gilliam is bad enough. Two can take out any company.”

However, it appears that the actors still respect each other as comics. When one fan pointed out that Idle had referred to Cleese as “the great John Cleese” in his book The Greedy Bastard Diary: A Comic Tour of America, he responded: “I never said he wasn’t funny. He was. Hilarious. 61 years.”

Alongside Graham Chapman, Fawlty Towers star John Cleese, Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas director Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones and travel writer Sir Michael Palin, Idle founded the comedy troupe in 1969.

The group came to prominence for the sketch comedy series Monty Python’s Flying Circus, which aired on the BBC from 1969 to 1974.