Latest news with #EricIdle
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Comedian Eric Idle says performers ‘ought to protect ourselves' from AI fakes
Monty Python star Eric Idle has said performers 'ought to protect ourselves' from artificial intelligence (AI) copies of their work and likeness The 82-year-old comedian told the PA news agency his wife was particularly worried about what could happen to his image once he dies. He told PA: 'I think it is a very interesting point, and we ought to have protected ourselves by copyrighting our images, I know my wife is very concerned about that. 'She's going to copyright my image, I won't be there, so I don't really give a…' The rise of AI has seen numerous fake videos appearing to feature well-known celebrities on social media, while other incidents have seen their work digitally recreated. Last year, Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson said she was 'shocked' and 'angered' at how 'eerily similar' one of the voices on AI platform ChatGPT sounded to hers. In response, the platform's operator OpenAI said it will 'pause' the use of one of the voices. Idle said the technology is 'actually not bad' at copying work by old artists such as The Beatles to make a new version, but he felt it could 'only copy' and not create. He added: 'I was with Professor Brian (Cox), the other night, and he asked it to write a Python sketch, and it was shit, completely unfunny. 'It mentioned a few things which obviously it picked up from Python, but it couldn't put them together in a new and funny manner, and I think that's the weakness with AI. 'I think Stephen Fry says you could ask it to do your World War One story, it could tell you how many bullets were used and how many people were killed, and all what happened every day, but it couldn't tell you as much as a Wilfred Owen poem could tell you in one minute or two, or 14 lines. 'I don't think that it makes much difference with a lot of American television because it's just churned out. 'But I think it can't be Robin Williams. I think it can't be Billy Connolly, I think it can't be Spike Milligan, I think it can't be the really creative comedians. 'So I don't think it can come up with that because what they do, they're doing it out of their own personalities.' The comedian will return to the UK in September for a solo tour at venues including London's Royal Albert Hall, Birmingham Symphony Hall and Glasgow's Armadillo. He will pay tribute to late friends George Harrison, Williams and Neil Innes, and perform with a virtual band. He is best known for his appearances in the Monty Python's Flying Circus TV series alongside Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Jones, Michael Palin and Terry Gilliam, and its spin-off films Monty Python And The Holy Grail (1975), Life Of Brian (1979) and The Meaning Of Life (1983). Idle also created Beatles parody band The Rutles with the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band's Innes, which featured in two mockumentaries in All You Need Is Cash (1978) and The Rutles 2: Can't Buy Me Lunch (2003). Sign in to access your portfolio
RTÉ News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Monty Python's Eric Idle warns performers of AI perils
Monty Python star Eric Idle has called on fellw performers "to protect ourselves" from artificial intelligence copies of their work and likeness. The 82-year-old comedian told the PA news agency his wife was particularly worried about what could happen to his image once he dies. He told PA: "I think it is a very interesting point, and we ought to have protected ourselves by copyrighting our images, I know my wife is very concerned about that. "She's going to copyright my image, I won't be there, so I don't really give a…" The rise of AI has seen numerous fake videos appearing to feature well-known celebrities on social media, while other incidents have seen their work digitally recreated. Last year, Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson said she was "shocked" and "angered" at how "eerily similar" one of the voices on AI platform ChatGPT sounded to hers. In response, the platform's operator OpenAI said it will "pause" the use of one of the voices. Idle said the technology is "actually not bad" at copying work by old artists such as The Beatles to make a new version, but he felt it could "only copy" and not create. He added: "I was with Professor Brian (Cox), the other night, and he asked it to write a Python sketch, and it was shit, completely unfunny. "It mentioned a few things which obviously it picked up from Python, but it couldn't put them together in a new and funny manner, and I think that's the weakness with AI. "I think Stephen Fry says you could ask it to do your World War One story, it could tell you how many bullets were used and how many people were killed, and all what happened every day, but it couldn't tell you as much as a Wilfred Owen poem could tell you in one minute or two, or 14 lines. "I don't think that it makes much difference with a lot of American television because it's just churned out. "But I think it can't be Robin Williams. I think it can't be Billy Connolly, I think it can't be Spike Milligan, I think it can't be the really creative comedians. "So I don't think it can come up with that because what they do, they're doing it out of their own personalities." The comedian will return to the UK in September for a solo tour at venues including London's Royal Albert Hall, Birmingham Symphony Hall and Glasgow's Armadillo. He will pay tribute to late friends George Harrison, Williams and Neil Innes, and perform with a virtual band. He is best known for his appearances in the Monty Python's Flying Circus TV series alongside Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Jones, Michael Palin and Terry Gilliam, and its spin-off films Monty Python And The Holy Grail (1975), Life Of Brian (1979) and The Meaning Of Life (1983). Idle also created Beatles parody band The Rutles with the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band's Innes, which featured in two mockumentaries in All You Need Is Cash (1978) and The Rutles 2: Can't Buy Me Lunch (2003).
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Monty Python star Eric Idle says Nigel Farage being ‘taken seriously is appalling'
Actor and comic Eric Idle has hit out at Nigel Farage as he said the Reform UK leader being taken seriously is 'appalling' as he shared the impact of Brexit on his life Actor Eric Idle has said Reform UK leader Nigel Farage being "taken seriously is appalling" as he fears voters being swayed. The Monty Python comic, 82, shared how post-Brexit issues left him unable to get to Paris to see his Spamalot musical opening. Due to the struggles since Brexit, Eric has now applied for a talent visa in France, where he also has a home. He hopes it will allow him to avoid a similar issue in the future. 'Eight years ago, we could go and live in any country in Europe we wanted to and work, and I wasn't even allowed to vote (in the EU referendum) because I lived here (in the US)," Eric said. The iconic star turned his attention to Farage as he added: 'I mean, (Brexit) was just a terrible con, it was a real con, and (the fact) that Nigel Farago (Farage) still exists anywhere and is taken seriously is appalling to me. 'I was with somebody… she said, 'I hope I never see him in a room, because I want to punch him'.' Eric explained to PA news agency that he is now only able to spend three months a year at the home he built in Provence due to Brexit. Sharing the extent of his issues, Eric added: 'I've applied for a talent visa in France, they have a little talent visa, and I feel I'm due one, because last year Spamalot won the Moliere, which is the equivalent of their Tony from Paris. 'And they love their Monty Python here (in France), we won that, we won the Jury Prize for The Meaning Of Life at the Cannes Film Festival, so they do know Python. 'So I'm hopeful that I'll get a little bit of an extension so I don't have to get kicked out, because I was kicked out two years ago, I had to leave, and I couldn't go and see the opening in Paris because I didn't have another day. 'I wrote to Monsieur Macron, and offered him a ticket if he'd let me in, and I said, 'only one ticket, because I don't want to be accused of bribery', but I never heard back.' Eric currently lives in the US, but has been frank about his future there as well due to President Donald Trump. 'I think it's quite likely – I'm only a green card holder – that I will be given the boot," he confessed. Despite his living situation being up in the air, Eric recently shared how he's had a "reprieve" following his cancer diagnosis. He was given an early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer in 2019 and was successfully treated for the illness. In a heartfelt 'Letter To My Younger Self' for the Big Issue, he wrote: "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. "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."
BreakingNews.ie
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- BreakingNews.ie
Monty Python's Eric Idle says Nigel Farage being ‘taken seriously is appalling'
Monty Python star Eric Idle has said Reform UK leader Nigel Farage being 'taken seriously' is 'appalling to me' after post-Brexit issues meant he was unable to see his Spamalot musical opening in Paris last year. The 82-year-old comedian told the PA news agency he had now applied for a talent visa in France, where he has a home, in the hope it will help him avoid a similar issue happening again. Advertisement Claiming Brexit rules limited his options, he told PA: 'Eight years ago, we could go and live in any country in Europe we wanted to and work, and I wasn't even allowed to vote (in the EU referendum) because I lived here (in the US). 'I mean, (Brexit) was just a terrible con, it was a real con, and (the fact) that Nigel Farago (Farage) still exists anywhere and is taken seriously is appalling to me. 'I was with somebody… she said, 'I hope I never see him in a room, because I want to punch him'.' Idle said he was only able to spend three months a year at the home he built in Provence as a result of Brexit, in a recent interview with The Guardian. Advertisement He told PA: 'I've applied for a talent visa in France, they have a little talent visa, and I feel I'm due one, because last year Spamalot won the Moliere, which is the equivalent of their Tony from Paris. 'And they love their Monty Python here (in France), we won that, we won the Jury Prize for The Meaning Of Life at the Cannes Film Festival, so they do know Python. Eric Idle will head out on a UK tour in September (Eric Idle/Note by Note Media) 'So I'm hopeful that I'll get a little bit of an extension so I don't have to get kicked out, because I was kicked out two years ago, I had to leave, and I couldn't go and see the opening in Paris because I didn't have another day. 'I wrote to Monsieur Macron, and offered him a ticket if he'd let me in, and I said, 'only one ticket, because I don't want to be accused of bribery', but I never heard back.' Advertisement Spamalot is the stage adaptation of the Monty Python film Holy Grail (1975), which has previously seen acclaimed productions on Broadway and London's West End. Idle now lives in Los Angeles in the US and thinks he could also be made to leave that country if he jokes about US President Donald Trump. He said: 'I think it's quite likely – I'm only a green card holder – that I will be given the boot.' The comedian will return to the UK in September for a solo tour, which will see him perform at venues including London's Royal Albert Hall, Birmingham Symphony Hall and Glasgow's Armadillo. Advertisement He is best known for his appearances in the Monty Python's Flying Circus TV series alongside Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, and Terry Gilliam, and its spin-off films Holy Grail, Life Of Brian (1979) and The Meaning Of Life (1983). Idle also created The Rutles with the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band's Neil Innes, a parody band of The Beatles, which featured in two mockumentaries in All You Need Is Cash (1978) and The Rutles 2: Can't Buy Me Lunch (2003). Mr Farage's Reform UK party have been contacted for comment.
The Irish Sun
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Eric Idle reignites Monty Python feud as he brands co-star ‘a hypocrite' for ‘turning down $30m' reunion
COMEDY royalty Eric Idle appears to have refuelled the financial fire between his former Monty Python co-stars. previously said he is still having to work as he receives only a fraction of the millions the Advertisement 6 Eric Idle has called his Python co-star a hypocrite for his comments about their split Credit: PA 6 Michael Palin, John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones in Monty Python's Life of Brian in 1979 Credit: Rex Features The trailblazing Pythons included Idle, The 82-year-old told The Big Issue: "Michael [Palin] said he was sad to see us break up? He was the first to leave! He's such a hypocrite. "I mean in some ways we split up immediately before The Holy Grail. "John didn't want to do a fourth series. After that we decided to just stick to films. Advertisement Read more "After Life of Brian, we actually did The Meaning of Life, which was our last film together. "Graham died shortly after that. Also, I think, when you've done religion and then the meaning of life, there are very few subjects left." He continued: "I can't believe Michael said he was sad. He turned down the opportunity to do it in America, in Australia, in South Africa. He turned down $30 million!" In 2024, Idle revealed the surviving Advertisement Most read in News TV In messages on X, Idle previously wrote: 'I don't know why people always assume we're loaded. "I have to work for my living. I never dreamed that at this age the income streams would tail off so disastrously. 'Like a Monty Python skit' - Incredible jockey running race goes viral as fans hail 'greatest thing ever seen' 'I have been working and earning for Pythons since 1995. And now no more.' He added: 'I guess if you put a Gilliam child [Holly] in as your manager you should not be so surprised. Advertisement 'One Gilliam is bad enough. Two can take out any company.' Despite the success of 1975's Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Life of Brian had funding issues and was almost canned - but was saved by a Beatle. In a Letter To My Younger Self for The Big Issue , : ' I got lucky, because I had to. I survived pancreatic cancer. "So I feel that since 2019 I've had a reprieve. I don't know or care what people say about me, I'm lucky every single day.' Advertisement He said: 'For a while we had no money. [Media proprietor] Lew Grade read it and just went nuts. He said, we can't possibly make this. I went to America to find money. 'I had been talking to 'But finally, when everybody turned us down, there was a call from him saying, 'I've got you the money'. 'He had mortgaged his house and his business and raised the cash and put it all on a Python film. The most extraordinary thing to do.' Advertisement 6 Monty Python's Flying Circus star Eric has had issues over the Python's finances Credit: Alamy 6 Michael Palin said he was 'sad' to see the Pythons break up - which Eric has disagreed with Credit: Getty 6 Actor Eric - who is based in LA - has spoken out about the financial inequality he has faced Credit: AFP 6 The Monty Python gang pictured prior to their O2 Arena tour back in 2014 Credit: Getty Advertisement
