ARCHIVE NO. 074 · Post-war entertainment
Eric Idle
Comedian, actor and songwriter
Eric Idle was born in South Shields and left when he was very young. In a July 2025 interview, he said that he had not returned since the age of two.
Idle became a member of Monty Python and co-created the Beatles parody the Rutles. His comic songwriting includes Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, written for Life of Brian, and his later stage work includes Spamalot.