Eric Idle has cancelled his upcoming An Evening of Idle Conversation tour of Australia and New Zealand after doctors advised him to withdraw. The 83-year-old Monty Python star apologised to fans who had bought tickets for the tour, which was due to run throughout November and December. The announcement comes four years after the comedian was given the all-clear following a battle with pancreatic cancer.
Doctors' advice forces tour cancellation
Idle said he had no choice but to call off the events, but vowed to do all he can to get back on stage next year. The Spamalot star, who joked that people can buy his book instead, was showered with support from fans online after making his announcement.
In a statement, Idle said: “It is with great regret that, on the advice of my doctors, I must withdraw from my planned An Evening of Idle Conversation tour of Australia and New Zealand.” He added: “This isn’t a decision I take lightly, but when the doctors talk, I must listen. My apologies to the venues and to all those who were coming to see me. Thank you for your support, as ever, and I will do all I can to get back there soon, health permitting. Meanwhile, you can still read my book.”
Surviving pancreatic cancer
In 2022, Idle revealed he “survived” pancreatic cancer after receiving a rare early diagnosis in 2019. He told The Sunday Times that he thought the diagnosis was a “joke” because his doctor had suggested the same illness would be a suitable way to kill off a character in a stage show he was writing.
“I laughed [when I was given the diagnosis] because I thought it was a joke. But I survived! Basically I shouldn’t f***ing be here. Every day is extra time for me. I just hope there aren’t any penalties at the end.”
In a letter for the Big Issue, Idle reflected on the ordeal, writing: “I miss a lot of people. Great people like Mike Nichols [director of The Graduate]. I will find myself thinking of a funny line and thinking, you must tell Mike that. Or Jonathan Miller [a British public thinker and former comedian]. So many of my heroes have gone, like Robin Williams. I still kind of occasionally speak to Billy Connolly, but I really miss him.”
He continued: “You’ve got to find other people, you know, because there are still other funny people you can have dinner with or play guitar with. I got lucky, because I had to, I survived pancreatic cancer. So I feel that since 2019 I’ve had a reprieve. So I don’t know or care what people say about me, I’m lucky every single day.”
Monty Python legacy
Idle was part of the Monty Python troupe, which became one of the UK's best known comedy acts with a hugely successful BBC TV series. He starred alongside Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones and Sir Michael Palin in the TV series, which began in 1969, as well as in films and live shows.
Chapman died in 1989 of tonsil cancer aged 48, while Jones died in 2020 aged 77 from a rare form of dementia. The series was a massive success, with 45 episodes produced from 1969 to 1974. It also gave rise to five films, including the 1975 classic The Holy Grail, which later inspired the hit musical Spamalot, penned by Idle himself.
