Monty Python actor John Cleese has responded to comments made by his co-star Eric Idle in which he claimed that Cleese fired their ex-manager Jim Beach to replace him with Terry Gilliam ’s daughter. Speaking with fans on X/Twitter back in February, Idle admitted he hadn’t seen Cleese in seven years and told fans their relationship was “over” when “they put Gilliam’s daughter in as manager and Cleese fired Jim Beach”. On Wednesday (18 September), months after Idle’s initial post, Cleese chimed back into the thread to call the narrative “an invention” before sharing his own version of events – and clarifying that he didn’t fire Beach.
“Jim, who was an old friend of mine from Cambridge days, became Python manager after the O2 show,” said Cleese. “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.
” At the height of the pair’s X/Twitter spat in February, Cleese said he and Idle have “always loathed and despised each other”. He also defended their manager Holly, daughter of their fellow Python star Terry Gilliam, who Idle blamed for why he has to continue to work and make money at the age of 80. “I have worked with Holly for the last 10 years, and I find her very efficient, clear-minded, hard-working, and pleasant to have dealings with,” the Fawlty Towers star said in response to Idle’s comments at the time.
“Michael Palin has as.