John Cleese cancels Cambridge Union talk after speaker is "blacklisted" for impersonating Hitler

10 November 2021, 14:06 | Updated: 10 November 2021, 14:14

John Cleese cancels Cambridge visit — John Cleese cancels Cambridge Union visit due to "blacklisting" of previous speaker. Picture: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images

By Jenny Mensah

The Fawlty Towers star took to Twitter to announce that he'd no longer be appearing at Cambridge University Union this Friday.

Loading audio...

John Cleese has trended for cancelling his talk this week at Cambridge University.

The Fawlty Towers icon was supposed to be visiting the prestigious university's Union, but decided not to attend after hearing how a previous speaker was "blacklisted" for doing a Hitler impression.

Taking to Twitter on Wednesday (10 November), he began: "I was looking forward to talking to students at the Cambridge Union this Friday, but I hear that someone there has been blacklisted for doing an impersonation of Hitler

"I regret that I did the same on a Monty Python show, so I am blacklisting myself before someone else does".

I was looking forward to talking to students at the Cambridge Union this Friday, but I hear that someone there has been blacklisted for doing an
impersonation of Hitler

I regret that I did the same on a Monty Python show, so I am blacklisting myself before someone else does
— John Cleese (@JohnCleese) November 10, 2021

The Monty Python star added: "I apologise to anyone at Cambridge who was hoping to talk with me, but perhaps some of you can find a venue where woke rules do not apply".

I apologise to anyone at Cambridge who was hoping to talk with me, but perhaps some of you can find a venue where woke rules do not apply
— John Cleese (@JohnCleese) November 10, 2021

Cleese was referring to the row over an art historian Andrew Graham-Dixon, who was banned from speaking at Cambridge's debating society after his impersonation of the infamous dictator.

In a statement, Mr Graham-Dixon said: "In my speech I caricatured him (Hitler), briefly, paraphrasing HIS crass and insensitive statements about art and race."

He continued: "I apologise sincerely to anyone who found my debating tactics and use of Hitler's own language distressing; on reflection I can see that some of the words I used, even in quotation, are inherently offensive".

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Graham-Dixon said: "Mr Bradwell's implication that I am a racist and anti-Semitic by placing me on his list is utterly rejected and in the context, surprising.

"The speech I gave was a strident attack on Hitler's racism and anti-Semitism."