Eric Idle Recalls George Harrison Saving His Life During Stabbing Attack

The bond between former Beatle George Harrison and Monty Python’s Eric Idle ran far deeper than most casual fans might realize. From creative collaborations to acts of personal generosity, their friendship was rooted in mutual admiration and shared experiences. Harrison even made a cameo in All You Need Is Cash, Idle’s 1978 Beatles parody film about the fictional band The Rutles, and famously mortgaged his home to finance Monty Python’s Life of Brian when original backers pulled out.

On a recent episode of The Adam Buxton Podcast, Idle opened up about the depth of their relationship and reflected on one of the most terrifying events in Harrison’s life: the 1999 home invasion that nearly killed him.

“It Was Like a Horror Film”

During the podcast, Buxton asked Idle whether Harrison’s Hare Krishna faith helped him cope after surviving the brutal stabbing at his Henley-on-Thames estate, Friar Park. Idle’s response was sobering.

“He was very disturbed,” Idle said. “I’ve never seen him more shaken.”

In December 1999, a mentally ill intruder broke into Harrison’s home and stabbed him multiple times during a violent 20-minute struggle. “He’d been stabbed about 40 times,” Buxton noted. Idle added that the attacker used a butcher’s knife, and Harrison was “bleeding to death” by the time police arrived.

Idle recounted that the assailant had initially been looking for Paul McCartney but, unable to find him, targeted Harrison instead. “It was easier to find Henley,” he said. “The guy climbed the wall, smashed the window. George came out—he was always the bold one.”

According to Idle, Harrison confronted the attacker at the top of the stairs, reportedly shouting “Hare Krishna” before the man lunged at him. “It might have been wiser to lock the door and call the police,” Idle admitted. Harrison’s wife, Olivia, eventually subdued the attacker by hitting him over the head with a Tiffany lamp.

“It was like a scene from a horror film,” Idle recalled. “When the police arrived, there was blood everywhere. They were all passed out.”

Aftermath and a Spiritual Reckoning

The attack left Harrison deeply shaken. Idle revealed that in the days following the incident, the couple invited close friends to the house for a puja, a Hindu prayer ritual. “We went room by room, retracing what happened. There was still blood on the walls. It was shocking—and weirdly therapeutic.”

The attacker, a 34-year-old man diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, was later found not guilty by reason of insanity and confined to a psychiatric hospital. He was released in 2002, just eight months after Harrison lost his battle with cancer.

More Memories: Bowie, Cook, and a Legacy in Laughter

Beyond the traumatic story, Idle also shared lighter memories during the podcast. He spoke about his friendship with David Bowie and fellow British comic Peter Cook, reflected on the whirlwind culture of the 1960s, and mused on the enduring popularity of “Always Look On The Bright Side of Life”—a song that has taken on a life of its own far beyond its original appearance in The Life of Brian.

But it was his memories of George Harrison that struck the deepest chord—reminding fans not only of Harrison’s quiet bravery and spiritual strength but of a friendship rooted in deep personal and artistic connection.