Ian Hislop recalls his encounter with Spike Milligan

As Ian Hislop’s new play about Spike Milligan opens, the Private Eye editor recalls how disaster turned to triumph when he met his comedy hero.

In the mid-1980s, Hislop interviewed the Goon Show creator for Radio 4’s Midweek on his birthday – so took along a bottle of champagne to celebrate.

‘It was live and on air,’ he recalls. ‘I opened the bottle only for it to explode all over my notes written in green ink which left me with an unreadable sea of green.

‘Spike thought it hilarious and he helped me out by  interviewing himself, asking himself questions.

‘He loved things going wrong. He loved the anarchy.’

The incident was recalled by Nick Newman – Hislop’s co-write on the play – in the programme for Spike, which is now playing at the Watermill Theatre in Newbury. Read our review here.

Published: 3 Feb 2022