There is a lot of rubbish written about toilet humour - people saying it is childish and pretending it is beneath them - but there is no doubting the effectiveness of a really good willy gag.
A lot of people are obsessed with looking cool. They feel they have to look after their image.
Most modern comedy is crap.
On stage, we just want to generate hysteria. We don't care about looking cool or posing.
Performers like Tommy Cooper, who are always getting things wrong, are much more endearing than comedians who are sassy and smart.
You're entering dangerous land when you start theorising about comedy.
We only have one agenda, which is to make 'em laugh their pants off. Unless they are girls, of course, when it is to make them laugh their bras off so we can get a quick look.
I remember once having to stop performing when I thought an elderly man a few rows back from the front was actually going to die because he was laughing so hard.
From the stage I've seen people of all ages absolutely roaring at really good toilet humour.
We had so much fun in Ghana and they are really lovely people.
I'm waiting for the time when I fail - because we all fail - and I'm ready, I'll take up carpentry.
Author details
Adrian Edmondson: Biography and Life Work
Adrian Edmondson was a notable English actor. The story of Adrian Edmondson began on 24 January 1957 in Bradford, England.
Adrian Charles Edmondson (born 24 January 1957) is an English actor, comedian, musician, writer and television presenter, who came to fame as part of the alternative comedy boom in the early 1980s. He and his comedy partner Rik Mayall starred in the television sitcoms The Young Ones (1982–1984), Filthy Rich & Catflap (1987) and Bottom (1991–1995), the last of which was written by Edmondson and Mayall, as well as the comedy feature film Guest House Paradiso (1999), which Edmondson directed and co-wrote. Edmondson and Mayall also appeared in The Comic Strip Presents... series of films throughout the 1980s and 1990s. For two episodes of this they created the spoof heavy metal band Bad News , and for another Edmondson played his nihilistic alter-ego Eddie Monsoon, an offensive South African television star.
Legacy and Personal Influence
Academic foundations were established at Pocklington School. Personally, Adrian Edmondson was married to Jennifer Saunders.
Philosophical Views and Reflections
In 2011, Edmondson hosted the ITV documentary series The Dales , in which he followed a number of families who live and work in the Yorkshire Dales , including the "Yorkshire Shepherdess" Amanda Owen . He also presented the ITV series Ade in Britain that year, where he travelled to different parts of the United Kingdom in a Mini Countryman towing a small caravan, often including a performed segment from local folk singers. A second series followed in 2013.
In September 2023 Edmondson was the guest for BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs . An extended version was broadcast in September 2024. His choices included " Downtown " by Petula Clark and " Sugar, Sugar " by The Archies . His favourite song was " Wide Open Spaces " by The Dixie Chicks , his book choice was Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett , and his luxury item was a tab of acid .
