Adrian Edmondson on working with Rik Mayall

Desert Island Discs

BBC

Society & Culture, Music Commentary, Music, Personal Journals

4.4 • 13.7K Ratings

🗓️ 6 October 2025

⏱️ 7 minutes

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Summary

In 2023, the comedian and writer Adrian Edmondson was cast away by Lauren Laverne.

Adrian met his comedy partner, the late Rik Mayall, at university. They bonded over their shared interests in double acts, violent slapstick and the plays of Samuel Beckett. It was the start of a long performing partnership and friendship.

Adrian spoke to Lauren about the creative process behind the anarchic TV comedy and long-running touring show Bottom.

You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

Transcript

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0:00.0	BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts.
0:05.6	Your time starts now.
0:07.2	You're about to listen to a BBC podcast.
0:09.4	Absolutely right.
0:11.5	So, you might like to know that the BBC makes loads of other podcasts.
0:15.6	Really?
0:16.4	Wow.
0:17.2	Many of them are very funny.
0:19.1	Which I think means...
0:20.3	A hatful of ha ha haas
0:21.7	And energy
0:22.3	Even if you do say so ourselves
0:24.1	I agree 100% to that
0:26.6	Find them all on BBC Sounds
0:28.3	Just tell us a joke
0:29.3	Come on tell us a joke
0:30.0	Tell us a joke
0:30.5	Come on tell us a joke
0:31.3	Just search comedy on BBC sounds
0:33.4	I'm really looking forward to getting stuck in
0:35.8	I'm really looking forward to getting stuck in. Hello, I'm Lauren Levern and this is Desert Island Discs postcards.
0:58.1	What's this? I hear you cry? Well, each year we take a short break.
	...

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