Monty Python Flying Circus comedy icon returns to Australia for one-off show
It took just a few seconds for the gags to start rolling with Eric Idle.
As the 79-year-old comedy icon and cancer survivor gingerly made his way up steep steps to the Sydney Opera House stage, he playfully quipped that "these stairs could be the last he climbs".
It's been almost 50 years since the multi-talented performer made a name for himself with Britain's groundbreaking Monty Python Flying Circus troupe.
Eric Idle. A Current Affair
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"We were very lucky because the BBC in those days was run by ex-RAF people smoking pipes and having a beer. They didn't really pay any attention," Idle told A Current Affair.
Success on the small screen didn't see Idle sit idly by either.
The cricket tragic built an innings writing and starring in movies such as The Life of Brian and The Holy Grail, albeit with help from a certain Beatle band member's wallet.
Eric Idle made a name for himself with Britain's groundbreaking Monty Python Flying Circus troupe. A Current Affair
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"George Harrison, bless him, mortgaged his house and put up $4.5 million to make it (Life of Brian).
"Imagine going home to the wife and her saying, 'what did you do today'?" Idle posed.
Idle, who was once married to an Australian, returns to our shores for a one-off show in Sydney this week.
Monty Python and The Holy Grail. A Current Affair
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And he can thank an early pancreatic cancer diagnosis, two years ago, for allowing him to be here.
Defeating the disease prompted Idle to set up the Bright Side Fund in an effort to support pancreatic cancer research.
And just like his most famous chorus line, Idle is always looking on the bright side of life.
George Harrison and Eric Idle. A Current Affair
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"If you realise how unlikely it is that we're in these lovely bodies, walking around, conversing and talking then it's a privilege," Idle said.
"It isn't a curse."
For the full story, watch the video above.
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