Ade Edmondson admits “strained” relationship with Rik Mayall before comedian’s death

19 April, 2024

Ade Edmondson has revealed that his relationship with comedy partner Rik Mayall was “strained” before his death.

Edmondson opened up about his friendship with his Young Ones co-star during a one-off TV special celebrating the sitcom Bottom, which the pair created in 1991.

Edmondson said “it’s very weird being in a world without” Mayall, who died aged 56 in June 2014 after suffering a sudden heart attack. He added: “It’s weird thinking that he didn’t know anything about Brexit, didn’t know about Covid.”

The comedian and actor then went on to confess that he was not on the best of terms with Mayall at the time of his death.

“I mean, our relationship was strained towards the end,” Edmondson said: “And when I do things like this, and I remember the absolute joy of sitting in that little office in Richmond opposite the Hole in the wall pub, it was absolute, you know, the distilled joy – the most joy I’ve ever had in my life, I think.”

He continued: “Making each other laugh, Properly laugh. Big belly laugh, laughs, you know. Proper can’t stop laughing, laughing. Very rarely you get a relationship like that with someone.”

Adrian Edmondson. CREDIT: Simone Padovani/Awakening/Getty Images

Edmondson became emotional when he recalled the passion the pair had for each other’s characters and writing alongside each other.

“I mentioned…. the way we used to write each other’s characters and were in love with each other’s characters – I miss that love. Yeah, I miss that other opinion of me. A very loving opinion.”

Those watching the special, which aired on Gold, soon took to social media to heap praise on Edmondson’s honesty about his relationship with Mayall.

“Despite their relationship being somewhat strained by the end, the love Ade Edmondson had and still has, for Rik Mayall is bursting through….” posted one viewer, while another wrote: “God bless Ade Edmondson and God bless Rik Mayall. There’s a lot of love going on in this clip. They were absolutely brilliant.”

Another Bottom fan added on Twitter/X: “Ade Edmondson really lost a huge part of himself when Rik died. It’s always really bittersweet to hear him talk about their times together and it’s very sad to hear that their relationship was strained towards the end.”

This isn’t the first time Edmondson has opened up about his relationship with Mayall. In a 2023 memoir, he revealed that their comedic partnership endured difficulties when they reunited for a Bottom project in 2012, with Mayall becoming annoyed at the distribution of jokes between them.

Edmondson wrote: “And I realise that the double act is properly over. There’s no trust left. It was glorious when it was alive, I’m immensely proud of everything we did together, it still makes me laugh, but I’m glad we didn’t do a dodgy final series.”

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