Culture 4 min read By Trevor Kendall
John Cleese and Eric Idle Trade Barbs Over Monty Python Legacy and Spamalot Royalties
John Cleese has publicly responded to Eric Idle's recent claim that «Python is dead,» escalating a long-running dispute over royalties from the Monty Python musical Spamalot and the future of the legendary comedy troupe.
John Cleese has fired back at former Monty Python collaborator Eric Idle after Idle declared that «Python is dead» and reignited a dispute over royalties from the hit musical Spamalot. The exchange, carried out on X, has drawn fresh attention to long-simmering tensions inside one of the most influential comedy troupes in television and film history.
In a recent interview with The Daily Telegraph, Idle discussed his decision to take a larger share of the royalties from Spamalot, the stage musical based on the Monty Python film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. «I think I have more business sense. I think they’re not very good at it, a lot of them,» Idle said. He also addressed Cleese’s earlier claim that the Pythons «always loathed and despised each other,» suggesting the remark might reflect a private truth. «I think it might be what he secretly feels,» Idle said, describing a friendship that had soured over time, particularly around the pandemic.
Idle also posted on X that «Python is dead,» and dismissed a fan’s suggestion of «one last hurrah» for the group with a blunt «no thanks.» The troupe, which also included Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin, became famous for Monty Python’s Flying Circus and films such as Life of Brian.
Cleese responded in a series of posts, writing that Idle «is complaining once again about the Pythons not being grateful for the royalties they received from Spamalot.» He added: «Bearing in mind that Eric has made at least 16 million dollars from the show, while Michael, Terry, Graham and I made just over a million each for writing ALL the iconic comedy scenes, maybe the gratitude should be coming in the other direction.»
Cleese also defended manager Holly Gilliam, daughter of Terry Gilliam, whom Idle has previously blamed for declining finances. Cleese called her «very efficient, clear-minded, hard-working, and pleasant to have dealings with,» and said Michael Palin and Terry Gilliam shared that view.
Idle declined to escalate further. When a fan urged him to «spill the beans,» he replied: «No – it’s unseemly and upsets the fans. Plus a one way feud is better known as bullying.»
The dispute follows Idle’s 2024 posts in which he said he was not «loaded» despite the group’s success, describing Python as «a disaster» financially and noting that «Spamalot made money 20 years ago.» He added that income streams had «tail[ed] off so disastrously.» Cleese at the time responded with the «loathed and despised» remark and said «it’s only recently that the truth has begun to emerge.»
For fans of the comedy institution, the public airing of grievances is a stark contrast to the anarchic silliness that made Monty Python a cultural touchstone. The troupe’s work reshaped sketch comedy and British humor, and Spamalot brought their material to Broadway and the West End, winning a Tony Award for Best Musical in 2005. The ongoing feud raises questions about whether any reunion is possible, though Idle’s «Python is dead» declaration and Cleese’s pointed accounting suggest the creative partnership is unlikely to be revived soon.
Neither performer has indicated a desire to reconcile publicly. The exchange remains confined to social media and interviews, with no sign of a resolution or a new project involving the surviving members.
