John Cleese has sparked health concerns among fans after an awkward blunder during an appearance on The One Show. On Tuesday (August 18), hosts Lauren Laverne and Ronan Kemp welcomed the Fawlty Towers star onto the show alongside fellow guests, Jay McGuinness, Shakira Khan, and Grace Dent.
Cleese Appears to Not Know Hosts
The comedy legend appeared on the show to celebrate 50 years of Monty Python and the Holy Grail as he spilled the beans on some of the iconic film's behind-the-scenes secrets. But things took an unexpected turn minutes into the show when the 86-year-old actor applauded their introduction and complimented their hosting skills.
He began: "This is very nice, I'm enjoying it, I like this show. What's your name?" When Roman shared his name, the Monty Python star pondered: "I've only ever known one Roman, and that's Roman Polanski; he's another famous Roman." Then Cleese turned his attention to his co-host, asking: "And your friend, what's her name?"
Lauren then shared her name, as the national treasure gushed: "Lauren's a nice name, too. I'm very happy to be on the show, and I intend to make the most of it."
Viewers Share Concerns on Social Media
It didn't take long for viewers to flock to social media to share their concerns for the actor online after appearing to know nothing of the teatime show, which has been on the airwaves for more than 20 years. Taking to X - formerly known as Twitter - some viewers urged him to seek medical advice when the cameras aren't rolling.
One user penned: "He was acting very odd, something medically wrong going on, I fear." Another agreed: "Why on earth did they invite him on? He's clearly gone a bit senile. Really embarrassing for all concerned." A third chimed in with: "Whatever this was about, it's obvious John Cleese has lost the plot, how embarrassing."
Others Believe Cleese Was Playing a Role
Meanwhile, others believed the star was simply trying to get a laugh by pretending not to know who the hosts were. One user stated: "He's taking the mick. The woke & young people will not get this humour at all [cry-laughing emoji]." Another echoed: "He's toying with them, he knows exactly what he's doing." A third chimed in with: "He was playing with them. One of the reasons that his comedy is successful is that it disrupts the norm and makes people shift uneasily in their seats at times."
