John Cleese picks at old scab and reignites feud with former Monty Python co-star Eric Idle

John Cleese has reignited his feud with former Monty Python co-star Eric Idle.

Tensions have been brewing between the pair for some time, with Idle, 81, previously saying he was ‘happy’ to not have seen Cleese, 84, in seven years.

And Fawlty Towers star Cleese also weighed in, saying: ‘We always loathed and despised each other, but it’s only recently that the truth has begun to emerge.’

Legendary comedy troupe Monty Python, formed in 1969, consisted of Idle, Cleese, Terry Jones, Graham Chapman, Terry Gilliam and Sir Michael Palin.

However, two of the stars of the show have now made things clear that there was more going on behind-the-scenes than fans knew.

After Idle accused Cleese of firing their manager Jim Beach, the latter has hit back.

Replying to one fan, Idle had said: ‘I don’t mind but once they put Gilliams daughter in as Manager and Cleese fires Jim Beach, well it’s over.’

His comment was in response to a fan saying: ‘This is awful to hear. I had no idea you guys disliked each other. Very sad. I saw you together in that movie a ways back, Splitting Heirs. I thought you were friends IRL.’

When another follower probed on why Cleese ‘was allowed to fire Jim’ and if the others had a ‘say’,comedian Cleese took to X to accuse Idle of lying.

He wrote: ‘This is an invention. Jim, who was an old friend of mine from Cambridge days, became Python manager after the O2 show. About four years ago he suffered a bad stroke and subsequently resigned as our manager. His number 2, Holly Gilliam, automatically took over as Python manager.’

Idle previously claimed that the way the group had been managed was ‘a disaster’ and all the associated money had long dried out.

Responding to a fan’s question on X about ‘Spamalot money’ – the successful 2004 musical stage show co-written by Idle and based on the iconic movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail – Idle said earlier this year: ‘I don’t know why people always assume we’re loaded. Python is a disaster. Spamalot made money 20 years ago.’

‘I have to work for my living. Not easy at this age,’ he added.

He then replied to one fan admitting they ‘honestly [couldn’t] tell if this is a bit or if you’re being sincere’, by saying: ‘We own everything we ever made in Python and I never dreamed that at this age the income streams would tail off so disastrously.’

Monty Python member and Time Bandits filmmaker Gilliam’s daughter Holly has acted in a management role for the group since 2013, co-producing their reunion show Monty Python Live (mostly) – One Down Five to Go at the O2 Arena in 2014.

Referencing Gilliam’s daughter’s management role, Idle wrote: ‘One Gilliam is bad enough. Two can take out any company.’

Though Idle was publicly supported by his daughter for ‘finally starting to share the truth’, Cleese claimed the others all supported Holly, saying: ‘I have worked with Holly for the last ten years, and I find her very efficient, clear-minded, hard-working, and pleasant to have dealings with.’

‘Michael Palin has asked me to make it clear that he shares this opinion. Terry Gilliam is also in agreement with this,’ he added.

Monty Python star Chapman died at the age of 48 in 1989, while Jones died from complications of dementia aged 70 in January 2020.

Metro.co.uk has approached reps for Eric Idle for comment.