Goon who lived by his wits

SPIKE MILLIGAN, who died ten years ago today, is best remembered for his work as the main writer of the hit radio comedy series, The Goon Show, for his quick wit, and for his appearance at the 1994 British Comedy Awards, where he infamously called Prince Charles “the little grovelling bastard” during his acceptance of a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Milligan said his own epitaph would read: “Here lies Spike Milligan. He wrote The Goon Show and died.” There was more to Milligan than The Goon Show. To allow the apparent modesty of that imagined epitaph would be to deny Milligan’s sometimes arrogant, self-regarding and mean-spirited manner.

Milligan was a complex character whose life was filled with extremes. He battled with depression by working himself to the bone. On his good days, he was a force of nature; a ball of energy, full of ideas and ceaseless wit. When depression struck, he would often lock himself in a room for days, speak to nobody and do nothing.