John Cleese's 'Awkward' TV Interview Sparks Debate About His Humor

Actor John Cleese, 86, sparked a conversation online after an exchange on BBC's The One Show where he appeared not to recognize hosts Roman Kemp and Lauren Laverne. During the Tuesday night broadcast, Cleese was interviewed alongside guests Grace Dent, Shakira Khan, and Jay McGuiness.

After Kemp and Laverne introduced the guests, Cleese turned to Kemp and asked, "What's your name?" Upon hearing Kemp's name, Cleese responded, "Well I've ever known only one Roman – Roman Polanski." He then asked Laverne, "Who's your friend?" after she introduced herself.

The interaction was met with a moment of silence from Laverne, and many viewers on X, formerly Twitter, described the moment as uncomfortable. Comments included "Awkward chatter with John Cleese" and "Has John Cleese lost the plot? How embarrassing."

However, other viewers suggested Cleese was employing his characteristic dry humor. "This is just what John is like in interviews. He never makes it easy for the interviewer and it's hilarious," one user wrote. Another commented, "He's playing with them, old school humour."

Cleese, known for his roles in "Fawlty Towers" and as a member of Monty Python, also discussed potential future projects. He mentioned plans for a reunion with Monty Python co-stars Sir Michael Palin and Terry Gilliam for some form of entertainment toward the end of 2026. This potential revival excludes Eric Idle due to ongoing financial disputes within the group.

"Sir Mickey Palin, Terry Gilliam and I are discussing doing some entertainment towards the end of this year, if only to prove that we are all alive – if we still are," Cleese told Richard Eden of the Daily Mail. He added that the event would be an "opportunity to insult each other, and to discuss at length each other's faults."

The original Monty Python troupe, which included John Cleese, Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, Eric Idle, and Graham Chapman, gained fame in the 1960s with the BBC sketch comedy show "Monty Python's Flying Circus." They later released films such as "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" (1975) and "Monty Python's The Meaning of Life" (1983).