Spike Milligan brings the house down by calling Prince Charles a “little grovelling bastard” on live TV.
Spike Milligan brings the house down by calling Prince Charles a “little grovelling bastard” on live TV.
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I thought “Spike Milligan” was the little guy with glasses, and the old man was Prince Charles.
Never afraid to speak his mind, his comedy genius could never be shackled.
Spike and Prince Charles were mates.
The story goes that a few days after the show, Spike sent Charles a telegram on the lines of: ‘No chance of a Knighthood then?’
Prince Charles replied: ‘Stop grovelling.’
I met him once in the 70’s. It was in a shitty little corner store in regional Australia. I told my mother Spike Milligan was in the next aisle and she told me I was being stupid so I led her around and he gave her one of his looks and she burst into laughter at the sight of him.
[The Irish Astronauts](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esOiB_fanzI) is my favourite..and [the Fresh fruit song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-IU-NQ8c14) .
I remember seeing this live at the time.
One of the few times I ever saw my dad laugh uncontrollably.
Highly recommend Spike’s ‘war diaries’ by the way. Great reads.
If anyone wants a laugh: listen to Milligan’s Audiobook ‘Adolf Hitler: my part in his downfall’. He reads it himself and there’s a scene were he’s talking about bunkhouse farts and he can barely get the words out he’s laughing so hard.
Spike Milligan was one of the most genuinely weird people ever.
Nobility checked. 😎 Got ’em
None of the people in the audience can clap right
Spike Milligan was one of my favourite reads growing up. One day, by chance, I saw a book in the public library and it seemed pretty short, and it was a World War 2 memoir titled, “Hitler: My Part in his Downfall”. Sounds good already. I had never heard of this guy, but decided that it might be worth a week’s read.
It was a brilliant read. I ended up going out and buying the book along with two others that were packaged in a set and along the way, learned of the Goon Show, his ties to Peter Sellers (I knew about him from Pink Panther fame and his great film, The Party). And I even bought The Lost Goon Shows because the front had a quote by Spike Milligan of, “Really not very funny.” The Goon Show shows can be found in various places on-line. You will hear Eccles, the Seagoons, Bloodnok, and Crun all voiced by Harry Secombe, Spike Milligan, and Peter Sellers. Some good writing and accompanying music by Max Geldray and his Quartet (?).
I also learned of his mental health and how it affected him from reading his memoirs (it got pretty dark at times). I also learned that he was not a Brit, but born in India and then allowed citizenship in Ireland when the British did not give him a passport.
The royal family is still relevant? Yikes
Yeah I really want to spend a couple of minutes listening to people clapping. Thanks.
“These are a series of cliches you’ve written?”
“Thats … Thats my job this evening.”
I remember seeing this on telly. I also like the moment when Jonathan just gives up on reading the letter.
classic spike
Anyone see the wookie at 2:50?
people who link 4 minute videos for 2 second lines hidden in there somewhere should be shot
Sharper at that late age than most comics in their prime.
Man, I’m listening to the recordings he made of his memoirs of WWII. They start with “Adolf Hitler: My Part in his Downfall” and continue for seven more books.
It’s crude, lewd, insane, near unbelievable, sometimes incomprehensible and makes me think of M*A*S*H in a good way.
I’d totally recommend em.
I hope the memory of Spike lives forever.
Americans should love him because he was heavily into jazz and surrealist absurdist American comedy like the Marx Brothers and Spike Jones which he imported into Britain, changing the course of British comedy where they think they’re so superior with Monty Python and such.
He was a total anti-authoritarian anarchist committed to animal rights and total freedom of expression.
He served in the artillery, against fascism, on the sharp end as a spotter, throughout the North African and Italian campaigns, putting up with idiot officers, until he was caught in a barrage and got PTSD then got shafted by the military for being a “coward”.
He was an absolute boss when it came to getting some loving, intensely charismatic.
He made a career in comedy through writing and acting some of the weirdest shit you couldn’t even imagine, and got paid in the extremely conservative British entertainment world.
He was born into luxury but then lost it when he was a small child and had to survive in a tough working class environment with that as a memory.
He developed bipolar disorder and severe depression but fought through it all.
He was an amazing father who was adored by his children and wrote classic children’s stories and poems.
Just one of the toughest kindest craziest funniest motherfuckers ever to walk the earth, did everything on his own terms and made everyone come along with him though his unique vision.
I had his poetry book when i was young. He was before my time but still touched my life. Top lad.
I am from the US and not familiar with Spike, or his work, but he seems to be one charming old man.
Even though he died several years before I was born, I became a huge fan of Peter Sellers when I was a teenager. After going through all his films, I found out he was in a British radio comedy called The Goon Show that supposedly heavily influenced the members of Monty Python. I am so glad I started listening to it because it was there I discovered the genius of Spike Milligan. I highly recommend searching it out of you want a half-hour of silliness.
What a legend.
Everyone old in that room is dead now; Spike, Denis Norden, June Whitfield. Even Rik Mayall is gone 🙁
That’s cool that John Oliver was there to present the award
Wow, wossy is so young.
Holy shit, thats a young Jonathan Woss.
If only he was still alive…..I’d love to hear what he’d call Prince Andrew.
My grandfather used to copy old Goons cassettes for me. Still got them all. What a wit those men had.
God what a circlejerk…
If you ever want to read one of the best ww2 “war diaries” read Spike Milligan’s series of books, truly an incredibly creative and humorous man. He really did shape comedy into something new.
i know this is tongue in cheek but i really wish someone would roast philip for the absolute arsehole he is.
The highly-esteemed GOON SHOW!
Anything that keeps the memory of Spike and the Goons alive gets an instant upvote and a groveling post like this one.
On his headstone Spike Milligan has “Dúirt mé leat go raibh mé breoite ” inscribed. Irish for “I told you I was ill”
Spike’s the best.