The Sun (online webchat)
22nd December 2005

Johnny's Still Rotten

In an exclusive Sun Online webchat, the controversial singer blasted everyone from Jordan and Simon Cowell to his former bandmates and modern punk groups.

The star found fame as Sex Pistols frontman Johnny Rotten, terrifying sections of the British public with frenzied live shows and classic punk tracks like Anarchy In The UK, Pretty Vacant and God Save The Queen.
After famously walking out of the band when they were touring their first and only album in America, John found more music success with his next group PiL and later on his own.

Then, just to prove that he always does what's most unexpected, John has spent the last couple of years appearing on I'm A Celebrity and presenting a string of nature shows - including the Discovery Channel's Megabugs series.

And, below, he tells all about his varied career, future plans and why there may yet be one more Sex Pistols reunion.

Hi John, I am an absolutely huge fan of all your work! Will you ever tour with the Sex Pistols again? Matt Silverwood, Kent

Come on - we've done that.

We enjoyed the reunion tour, because at last we actually got paid for something! But we've done it now.
When we played Crystal Palace in 2002 that was our fond farewell to Britain.

I could see a day when we played live together again - but only if it was in Japan and for plenty of filthy yen!
My moral code isn't that strict.

I've never done anything for the money, but I f***ing like the money!

Do you regret that the Pistols never recorded a follow-up to your legendary album Never Mind The Bollocks? Jo, Nottingham

No, there was no need to. We despised each other at that point and it was time to stop.

In the reforming period the others talked about writing new songs, but in my heart of hearts I cannot go back and re-write for that period.

And if I did write something new… then it's mine and they're not having it!

Are you still in touch with your former bandmates Steve Jones, Glen Matlock and Paul Cook?
Dan

Yes I am, but we're not jolly good chums. Let's face it, we really dislike each other and we like to dislike each other and that makes us like each other!

I've heard rumours that you and Jah Wobble are thinking about reforming PiL. Is there any truth in this? Mark, Norwich

Me and Jah Wobble went for a great curry recently. He's a good mate and will be for life. But we're not getting back together.

Does it irritate you that some people are fans of yours because of I'm A Celebrity rather than for your music? Alan O'Mahony

I don't think people should be fans of mine from I'm A Celebrity - that was a bloke camping and having a cup of tea by the fire. How is that something you're a fan of? It doesn't make sense.
But if they are, it's absolutely fine with me. Why should they know any more than that? If somebody wants to know more they'll find out.

It's like in America, there are still PiL fans who don't know about the Pistols. That's how life is for me and why I put out this new compilation from throughout my career.

It's called The Best Of British £1s and contains my favourite Sex Pistols, PiL and solo songs, along with a load of remixes I've personally selected.

Why did you walk out of I'm A Celebrity when you could have won? Georgina, Leeds

Won what? What was there to win? King Of The Jungle - says who? Carol Thatcher 'won' this year, so what? Does it make her a better person? I still don't want to know her - do you?

I walked out because they screwed me over. They said they'd tell me when my wife arrived in Australia, while I was in the jungle, and they didn't.

That was important to me because we were booked on the Pan Am Lockerbie flight years ago. I love my wife, and she loves me, and since then we always like to know when the other lands safely. I gave them two days to tell me, they didn't, so I went. They tried to manipulate me but I got the last laugh. And people liked me for it, which I found weird.

Did you see the pictures of your jungle colleagues Jordan and Peter Andre's wedding?
Stacey, London

Yes, I actually bought a copy of OK magazine just to see them. And I laughed a lot! They were hilarious.
I would feel ashamed of myself to allow a gossip magazine to be involved with the people I love.
I don't think you could do that if you were genuine, you don't share those personal moments.

The whole thing seemed more showbusiness orientated.

But if they're happy being seen as products, then I'm happy for them.

What do you think of the modern crop of punk bands like Green Day, Offspring, Rancid and Blink 182? I'm a big fan of all of them. Laurence, Wanstead

You can f*** off then! You may like them, but I certainly don't.

The trouble with the latter day punk movement is that it imitates too much. That's not how it should be - people should be individuals like we were.

The least like a 1970s punk band you look, sound and live then the more punk you actually are.

Hi John, I was a teenager in the late 1970s and remember the thrill and danger of the Sex Pistols. Do you miss the good old days of being banned from almost every venue in Britain? Carla, New York

They weren't good days. It's not a good thing to be banned. It's not a career move. Unfortunately, like everything we did, it's now ended up as a format. People think: "If we get banned then we'll be famous."

But there's no point to that. I want to be seen and I want to be heard. I am not a hermit.

Did you really sack Glen Matlock as the Sex Pistols bassist for liking The Beatles?
Stu, Glasgow

No. That is ridiculous. But it would be a bloody good reason!

Hi John. So, once and for all, please tell us how you decided to take on the nickname of Johnny Rotten? Russell A Trunk, Detroit

One day Steve said: "Look at his teeth - he's f***ing rotten!" I wasn't too pleased at the time, but he was right.

How did you stay so calm filming Megabugs - some of those creatures would have scared the daylights out of me? Michael, Lincoln

I just don't get scared by wildlife. I'd be more terrified of something from a zoo, because the institutionalisation of bars makes animals naturally more aggressive.

In the wild they're just doing their business and are absolutely beautiful. So I'm not scared, but because of that I am incredibly stupid. I got hurt quite a lot making Megabugs. Going into a mosquito tent was the most foolish thing I did - there were 3000-4000 of those bloody things.

The next day, bumps on bumps on bumps starting coming up and there were allergies kicking in. I swelled up like the Dunlop Man and my ear drums also started to hurt. Worst of all we couldn't get a doctor, because a hurricane was blowing through Florida.

When we finally got a doctor in, there was a mosquito still in my ear and it perforated my ear drum.
That's a nice thing for a singer. I thought I was going to turn out like the Bee Gees!

Hi John - I found your Megabugs show fascinating, as with your sharks and apes shows. Do you plan to make more wildlife/nature shows in the near future as you're a natural at it? Jon Edwards, Redditch

Thank you, I make sure I always know enough about my subjects to talk freely without any prompting.
Doing the bugs and sharks was just amazing, but the best thing ever was the gorillas - they were mental.

I feel a bit stale about those sort of programmes now though, I've made my statement and I need to move on.
I want to get back to making music and set up a television channel in England called Rotten TV.

I love hearing all the old tracks on your new compilation album - but when will you be bringing out some new solo stuff? Dave Sherwood

The last track on The Best Of British £1s is The Rabbit Song, which is part of a new solo album I am working on at the moment. We just haven't found a record label for it yet. I offered it to Virgin, but they showed no interest. They showed about as much interest in my new album as they did in putting out this current one. You can hardly call it over-promoted!

It's a liberty really, seeing as Virgin made its name on the back of my career. What did they have before the Sex Pistols came along? Tubular Bells and that was it.

Were you happy to get inducted into America's Rock 'N' Roll Hall Of Fame earlier this year? Maria, Brentwood

I couldn't give a f***!

Being inducted - it sounds like something sexually unpleasant.
I don't need awards, I'm not for that world.

I think I know the answer to this - but are you a fan of shows like X Factor and Pop Idol? Andrew, Kent

No I'm bloody well not! And it's appropriate that I saw Simon Cowell at the Comedy Awards, because that bloke's laughable.

I don't like the way he tries to humiliate people who are just trying to achieve something.
After all, I've done alright out of being awful!

If you'd never been a member of the Sex Pistols what do you think you'd be doing today? Allison, Texas

I'd be a right good librarian!

John Lydon's Megabugs DVD and The Best Of British £1s album are both in shops now