Adrian Edmonson still finds it "really weird" that Rik Mayall is no longer here.
Adrian Edmondson starred alongside Rik Mayall in the sitcom Bottom
The 67-year-old star shot to fame alongside his fellow comedian - who died in 2014 at the age of 56 after suffering a heart attack - as part of a double act in the early 1980s and admitted upon the 10th anniversary of his friend's passing that it is strange to think that he never knew about major world events.
He told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "It’s really weird being in a world without him. Very weird thinking he didn’t know anything about Brexit and about Covid. I mean our relationship was strained towards the end. When I do things like this, I remember the absolute joy of sitting in that little office in Richmond [writing]. It was absolute distilled joy, the most joy I have ever had in my life, making each other laugh, properly laugh. It’s very rare you get a relationship like that.
"It’s been 10 years now nearly, since he died. It was a very shocking thing. An absolute genuine surprise because he was fairly fit. He had stopped drinking for several years. It was weird to have a heart attack when you’re not really heart attack material. We used to write each other’s characters more than people imagine. As Ade I was in love with Richie and Rik was in love with Eddie."
The comedian wrote and starred in 'Bottom' alongside Rik and reflected that their characters were "alter-egos" of themselves as he recalled having "so much fun" creating the sitcom with his late co-star.
He said: "I think that love shows. They are like alter-egos of each other. Eddie is my alter-ego. I mean properly. We’re quite similar and Rik’s quite similar to Richie so it’s about our love for each other.
"I remember mostly the joy we had in the writing room. That’s the funniest place I’ve ever been. We laughed harder in that room than I’ve ever laughed before or since. It was an absolutely joyous experience. It was a real kind of communion
Tagged in Ade Edmondson Rik Mayall