John Cleese left viewers distracted when he appeared on Tuesday's edition of The One Show, hosted by Lauren Laverne and Roman Kemp. The comedian and actor, 86, was joined on the sofa by Celebrity MasterChef host Grace Dent, Love Island winner Shakira Khan and singer Jay McGuiness.
But things turned awkward when the BBC hosts introduced their celebrity guests. Roman commented, "Welcome all," as the guests applauded one another, while John continued to clap. The BBC host chuckled, "You can keep going John." To which the comedian said: "I like this show... what's your name?" He replied: "Roman." John went on: "I've never known anyone called Roman... Roman Polanski?" The BBC host said: "He's another famous Roman."
Awkward Exchange on Air
"Yes, another famous Roman. And your friend, what's her name?" John asked as he pointed towards his co-host Lauren. The BBC host reiterated her name. John said he was happy to be on the show before he burst out laughing.
The awkward moment caught viewers' attention as they reacted on social media. An X user wrote: "He was acting very odd." Another wrote: "Rushes to watch it now."
Viewer Reactions on Social Media
A third penned: "That is what we call 'top trolling'." A fourth said: "They were obviously sh****ng themselves in case he said something offensive. The tension looked crazy." Another tweeted: "It's just sarcasm. Have we forgotten that the British are sarcastic? Or, is that not allowed these days either??"
A sixth said: "This is wonderful. He's doing a Barry Humphries and they haven't a clue. Bravo @JohnCleese." While another added: "This is just what John is like in interviews. He never makes it easy for the interviewer and it's hilarious."
Celebrating Monty Python Anniversary
The comedy legend appeared on the show taking viewers behind the scenes of Monty Python and the Holy Grail as he celebrates 50 years of the iconic film.
