The Fawlty Towers star had been attending a John Cleese In Conversation With event at SXSW in Austin Texas, earlier this week. Comedians Jeff Gaffigan, Duclé Sloan and Ricky Velez also attended this event.
John Cleese had asked his fellow panelists who was more oppressed by colonisation. The comedian began to discuss "compettion between cultures".
Cleese had said, “[People] get competitive about this business of being oppressed. You do know the British have been slaves twice, right?".
It was at this point that Duclé Sloan took Cleese's mic off him, saying “I saved a comic whose career I respect”.
However, Cleese continued by saying, “I want reparations from Italy".
“And then the Normans came over in 1066… they were horrible people from France and they colonised us for 30 years and we need reparations there too, I’m afraid", he added.
It was at this point that moderator Dan Pasternack told the audience, “And this is why your phones are locked up".
“The thing is, I’m going to be dead soon", John Cleese later said of his joke. “That’s why I’m in favour of global warming – I don’t want to be cold ever again".
