In terms of special guests, perhaps the only thing more surprising than the Pythons being joined by others, is when the Pythons are the guests themselves. Although it was Rowan Atkinson who flew the flag for British comedy at the opening ceremony for the London 2012 Olympics, the inclusion of Eric Idle at the closing ceremony was welcomed by everyone. This appearance came about during a segment which seemed to consist of the various early attempts at flight, bicycles with wings etc, no doubt celebrating the determined British "have a go" attitude, regardless of efforts being doomed to failure. Another particular example being a human cannonball who merely falls through the floor rather than shooting through the air, but who then climbs back up to reveal himself to be Eric Idle. Much to the audiences delight, he promptly rouses them all into a rendition of Always Look On The Brightside Of Life. Although the closing ceremony didn't quite achieve the same levels of approval as Danny Boyles opening (after the Queen's jubilees, Live 8, and the Concert for Diana, large concerts just don't seem to have the same impact anymore), the inclusion of Eric Idle amongst the likes of Britain's most successful bands and singers, including Queen, The Who, and Take That, proved that Monty Python has added just as much to Britain's musical heritage as it has to its comedy.
