Remembering Rik Mayall

Rik Mayall once sat down and worked out, point by point, exactly why he was better than Jesus.

He had data. He had receipts. And frankly, the argument is airtight.

Which bit got you? 👇

If you zoom in you can see Rik Mayall’s favourite comedians and TV shows.

It’s a great little snapshot into what shaped him — the humour he grew up on, the influences behind that unmistakable energy, and the things he genuinely loved away from the spotlight.

From Monty Python’s Flying Circus to The Pink Panther Show, you can see the kind of comedy that clearly fed into his own style. Bold, silly, unpredictable… and completely his own when he brought it to life.

There’s also something quite telling in the smaller details. His biggest fear was not making people laugh — which says everything about how much he cared about what he did.

And one of the best bits… he always wanted to meet Little Richard — and he actually managed to do it.

A proper insight into a man who gave us so many unforgettable moments on screen.

The eternal struggle of Richard Richard. A man of immense, untapped potential, simply waiting for the world—and a girlfriend—to recognize his undeniable greatness. Or perhaps he really is the new Messiah, and we’ve all just been too blind to see it.

It’s the sheer confidence that gets you. The absolute, unwavering belief that he is God’s gift, completely at odds with the tragic reality of his existence. Rik played this delusion so perfectly, making us laugh at the pathetic desperation while somehow, inexplicably, rooting for him. The transition from unearned arrogance to the crushing realization of “April Fools” is a masterclass in physical and emotional whiplash.

Which of Richie’s disastrous attempts at romance is the absolute worst?

He was a visionary. A poet. A philosopher of the highest order. Then he touched a hot kettle.

That was the genius of Rik Mayall. He didn’t just play the fool. He played the arrogant, delusional fool who genuinely believed he was the smartest man in the room. Richie Richard was a man whose mind was constantly writing a sweeping historical epic, while his body was starring in a slapstick disaster.

The whiplash between his grand, Shakespearean gestures and his complete inability to boil water was terrifyingly fast. No one else threw themselves into the punchline with that much violence. He made the physical comedy just as loud as the dialogue.

Which of Richie's grand delusions is your absolute favourite?