Notice the hint of Basil in the age of Brexit?

John Cleese’s most famous creation proves the notion that only clowns can tell the full truth

‘We’re writing a new episode in which one of Basil’s guests dies, and we’re trying to think of a way of getting the body out of the hotel without Basil knowing,” John Cleese told me, many years ago.

It was towards the end of a truly surreal working day, and the star of Fawlty Towers and I were having dinner. I had just spent the day interviewing him for a television profile.

Then ...