Eric Idle is living a “normal life” in his French bolthole – shunning showbusiness for a quieter life in the sun. The Monty Python star admitted that “nobody knows who he is” while he’s in mainland Europe, confessing during a BBC Radio Scotland appearance that he has been going to the area since the height of his fame in 1971.

Host Nicola Meighan introduced listeners to comedy icon Eric’s “secret hideaway”. During their discussion, she said: “To start with, I was going to ask how you were, but because I was eavesdropping, I already know that you’re in France and you’ve been swimming and you’re suntanned! This sounds wonderful, this is the Eric Idle we need in 2025!”

Eric responded: “This is my secret hideaway, I’ve been writing a book about it and it’ll come out next year. You’ll be able to learn all about my secret hideaway and how I swim in my pool. I’ve loved it, I’ve been down here since 1971 and I really like it.

“It’s a good getaway from showbusiness, you know what I mean? It’s a normal life. Nobody knows who you are, they don’t care. They’re all French. They just think I’m a strange, eccentric Englishman, which is probably true.”

Nicola replied: “A home from home! I hope I didn’t give too much away, I did just mention the country and not the location of your secret hideaway.”

Laughing, Eric reassured her: “It’ll be fine, I’m outing myself next year anyway, I’m giving up hiding!” as Nicola quipped: “Book your coach tours now!”

Eric has even applied for a talent visa in France after post-Brexit red tape meant he missed the opening of his Spamalot musical in Paris last year.

He said: “They love their Monty Python here in France, we won the Jury Prize for The Meaning of Life at the Cannes Film Festival, so they do know Python.

“So I’m hopeful that I’ll get a little bit of an extension so I don’t have to get kicked out, because I was kicked out two years ago, I had to leave, and I couldn’t go and see the opening in Paris because I didn’t have another day.

“I wrote to Monsieur Macron, and offered him a ticket if he’d let me in, and I said, ‘only one ticket, because I don’t want to be accused of bribery’, but I never heard back.”