Miriam Margolyes has described Monty Python stars John Cleese and Graham Chapman as "total s***s".
Miriam Margolyes
The 80-year-old star has hit out at the two comedians - as well as The Goodies alumni Bill Oddie - and called out the allegedly sexist treatment she experienced from the Footlights Club during her time at Cambridge university.
In her new memoir 'The Truth of It', she wrote: "I didn't like the Footlights boys and they really didn't like me. They made that obvious.
"When I say 'they', I refer to a most distinguished group: John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Bill Oddie, Humphrey Barclay (later Head of Comedy at LWT), Tony Hendra and Tim Brooke-Taylor.
"The only girl in the show, I was a pert little madam and thought I was as good as they were — and they didn't."
Mariam admitted her experience with Footlights - the amateur dramatic group which has spawned a number of comedy legends, including Peer Cook, David Frost, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie and more -left a sour taste in her mouth.
She claimed she got the impression they didn't like her humour, and suggested Python's shows "didn't feature funny women".
She continued: "My perception was that they thought I was a jumped-up, pushy, overconfident, fat little Jew. But I was funny, and they didn't like it.
"If you think about it, the Monty Python shows didn't feature funny women, only the occasional dolly bird. And I certainly wasn't that."
And while Miriam hailed those involved as "men of genius", she still claimed they "were not gentlemen."
She said: "I admire the creation of Monty Python and The Goodies and I think they were men of genius, but they were not gentlemen.
"John Cleese, Bill Oddie and Graham Chapman were total s***s — and they have never apologised. The only one who did was the late Tim Brooke-Taylor.
"All the perpetrators went into light entertainment and I went into drama, so thankfully our paths were seldom to cross. But nearly 60 years later I have not forgotten."
Tagged in John Cleese