The Graham Norton Show John Cleese about his mother

[@DarkeningSkies1]

"He never wanted to be liked, and that was what made him so hilarious..."- Eric Idle on John Cleese

[@MCshadr217]

Yea, basically the whole group were like that. They were complete and utter assholes to each other, all in the name of entertainment. They still insult each other profusely, too. It's amazing to see how tight a friendship these old men have. No host can ever wrangle them. When they're together, it's like a classroom of misbehaving children. It's amazing.

[@antigen4]

pretty much ALL english do that though

[@antigen4]

it's the closest thing they have to affections since the british are morbidly afraid of affection

[@robinsinpost]

Too bad that isn't working for me.

[@vavo4902]

That's been my life mission. Why am I not rich yet?

[@ColinNeeson]

I’m a big fan of Cleese. When my mum died and was cremated, my first comment when i picked up her ashes was “she’s lost a lot of weight”. The look on their faces was priceless. She would have laughed.

[@flightoficarus5588]

ahahahahsdhgasahhaha you made my day

[@amyjones637]

I'm crying that was beautiful John would love that lmao

[@JHParee]

Shit, that’s funny. I hope someone still has their dark sense of humor during my funeral.

[@kabirrubaiyat]

🤯🤣🤣🤣

[@aiswariyasweety1517]

@@flightoficarus5588 omg I would have laughed out loud

[@thebrazilianatlantis165]

"That was after she died." Wit in five words!

[@normturner4849]

Brazilian Atlantis Also 'without noticing any of it!' re living thru 20th century😜

[@Aqquila89]

Another dark joke Cleese told her mother to cheer her up was that he'll not miss her after she dies, because he'll have her stuffed and keep her in a glass case in his apartment. She found that hilarious and told everyone in the old folks home where she lived.

[@anywaythewindblows8912]

Taylor’s face after he said that was great

[@philippecal6787]

Tu oublies le phrasé mais, oui, 5 mots et cette intonation : une tuerie !

[@Crosby4hyg]

I lost it at "nearby silent horses"

[@rawstarmusic]

This is a phobia u see, so it's not rational. Then again it could suddenly muu.

[@Leo-hk6qg]

it was a very British humour moment

[@DavidSmith-ss1cg]

You should read his book, then. Cleese is a bit older than you might think, and his parents were older than most parents when he was born, and this - and their reactions to the epic changes to society caused by the events of the 20th century - made him into what he is today.

[@poponachtschnecke]

@@rawstarmusic totally rational. An angry quiet horse might reach out and bite you.

[@angemaidment5640]

“Pins being dropped” 🤣🤣🤣

[@fpp9183]

Seeing John Cleese's body language and laughter during Swift's stories makes me like him even more. He looked interested, payed attention and laughed genuinely. He seems to be one of those people that brightens up any room he is in.

[@FreeTVEngland]

He's always liked American blondes

[@ClarinoI]

"Who do you want on the show next week Graham?" "Oh, I don't care, just get the three tallest people who are in town."

[@D0NTST4RT]

Never thought I would ever see John Cleese and Taylor Swift sitting on the same couch!

[@elebecepe]

AND cracking jokes at each other!

[@stonewars3224]

Odd combination.

[@mistergrandpasbakery9941]

I thought the same thing. But the irony is that Cleese is one of the tallest comedians and Swift is one of the tallest women in Nashville.

[@marshwetland3808]

Me either. But she made him laugh with the mom-story.

[@Jingho]

And even mention Weston-super-Mare, I live there!

[@CataclysmZA]

"nearby silent horses" John Cleese's mother could see Thestrals.

[@groupcaptainbonzo]

CataclysmZA I thought that she did. That’s why we got the smiles, and the story about the candles ???

[@koitorob]

He said SILENT, not INVISIBLE!

[@Richard19551]

I like that Cleese so notices others- he listens, he reads to them, he looks for their reaction - and he seems to like Taylor Swift, want her appreciation. And she is charmed by him. The interaction is charming.

[@minimaxi802]

John Cleese mother was called Muriel and lived to be 101. She lived in three centuries from 1899 to 2000 through the whole of the 20th century.

[@SecondValveSteam]

Without really noticing any of it.

[@samborremans4023]

“This was after she died” I can’t mate 😂

[@nalk20]

"she lived through the first world war, Great Depression, rise of Hitler and Stalin, second world war, atomic bombs, foundation of Israel, cold war, space age..." No wonder his mom felt down occasionally. :)

[@ethanahoia8619]

nalk20 Didn't really notice it all though! John Cleese is a treasure.

[@sillylittlemonkey7130]

John Cleese's mum could be in war and would just walk right through it and not give a shit

[@scipioafricanus5871]

@@sillylittlemonkey7130 If she'd owned a lodging house she wouldn't have noticed a guest, a certain Mr Hilter and his gang planning to run for a by-election in Minehead with his National Bocialist Party sometimes after 1945.

[@vodkacannon]

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

[@shaun_rambaran]

I wouldn't be surprised if her fears of fireworks, popping noises, etc. were because she had memories of shelling.

[@jcb3393]

3:18 - now THERE'S a talk show host. He actually knew the material so well, he knew it better than the person who wrote the book! Look of pride at the end is well-earned, sir. Fallon, Kimmel, et al. could learn a lesson or three from this.

[@WalterLiddy]

Well, what it really reveals is that they planned this in advance and he'd had the page marked, but Cleese didn't spot it right away. All talk shows have pre-planned conversations; I don't know why people fail to recognize this.

[@Brandon-yr3nj]

lmao that’s not what happened

[@edgyteenboi3635]

@@WalterLiddy if all the talk shows are pre planned then american talk show hosts should learn planning form this guy

[@wessexwench6974]

Jimmy Fallon doesn’t listen to any of his guests. He just waits for a pause so that he can interrupt again. Or punch the desk and pretend to laugh. Graham Norton lets his guests do the entertaining themselves. He is undoubtedly the best host on TV. Funny and clever.

[@wickedwitchoftheeast88]

Meryl Streep said it best can't remember the exact quote but she said the thing with Graham Norton is he brings different people together and it works. Unlike other chat shows where its one guest at a time Graham has everyone together, alcohol to relax and lower the inhibitions 😂 and he lets his guests talk and when they talk to each other he doesn't jump in he lets it happen to see where it goes he doesn't take himself too seriously and has a laugh compared to Jonathan Ross and Jimmy Fallon who constantly interrupt and fake laugh at everything its annoying. The only other chat show host who isn't half bad is James Corden but he's nowhere near Graham's league

[@iainjames03]

John Cleese has always has a knack for listing things in a hilarious way. Parrot Sketch, anyone? Cheese Shop? Even his Bafta acceptance speech for A Fish Called Wanda...

[@timbrewin9241]

Now I know where Cybil's mother's fears came from in Fawlty Towers

[@Twiggymaster666]

I never get tired of this story

[@JackDManheim]

The thing about "Near-by-silent-horses", you don't know that they're there. What foul, sinister purpose must they have that requires they move incognito through the shadows?

[@easybake8420]

She was also frightened by Slenderman hiding nearby in the trees.

[@thetessellater9163]

@@easybake8420 - not to mention the sheep nesting in the trees! "They don't so much fly, as plummet!"

[@kdkd693]

Ringwraith horses

[@JHParee]

They’re dangerous on both ends and crafty in the middle.

[@MarkArandjus]

The contrast between the very existence of John Cleese and Taylor Swift is a wonderful thing.

[@4emcarthur]

Lovin' Cleese's relating of "omniphobia": "whinnying horses, nearby silent horses......." LMFAO too much!

[@MrErnestCC]

Alot of criticism of taylor swift. I don't really know much about her but she is doing pretty well for a young girl on a British chat show sitting next to John Cleese.

[@SamuelKristopher]

People need to show others how smart they are for getting Cleese's humour by making a humourless strawman for them to hate in Swift. Deep insecurities, that's all.

[@gwynaethatwood-pettit2468]

She’s 29.

[@bradhaines3142]

@@gwynaethatwood-pettit2468 so? there are different kinds of humor and different people like different jokes

[@gwynaethatwood-pettit2468]

Brad Haines And?

[@BlueRidgeMtns100]

@@SamuelKristopher She's young, beautiful, talented, and rich along with being very courteous and respectful toward Cleese - what's not to hate? LOL Cleese was the center of attention and she didn't butt in but she held her own and that's saying something when you're sitting next to John Cleese!

[@that.guy11]

Wonder if John Cleese's mother is the inspiration for that scene in Fawlty Towers when Sybil lists all the things her mother is afraid of

[@Aqquila89]

Probably. Cleese wrote all the episodes, after all.

[@WilfredZweverink]

Yes.

[@ianbentley7276]

i thought of that too.

[@Eadwulf_Skald]

@@Aqquila89 Together with his wife at the time

[@JFRULESOK]

Cats, doorknobs...

[@shookstylez]

John Cleese wanted to make his mother laugh, it made her happy. What a legend.

[@arjunharindran5689]

Shes just so horrified by cleeses humor

[@katiemp670]

watch another video from the episode, they were having banter about cats and john seemed smitten with her.

[@katiemp670]

Outdoor Mirrorist she's far from stupid.

[@danielwesterlund1905]

She seems like a very good audience for John. She seems genuinely engaged by his jokes, like she's discovering something new (and I don't mean to suggest that she's stupid or anything of the sort, I know nothing about her other than that she makes music that I'm never going to listen to) and it alternatively fascinates or shocks her, or both, and that makes it extra fun to tell these jokes for her.

[@scribe56]

I thought she was just being respectful and polite and enjoying listening to him. Maybe she doesn't need to be the center of attention all the time. Give her a break.

[@thekeyboardess1150]

"She suffered from Omniphobia" 😂😂😂😂

[@mrs.featherbottom5901]

John Cleese is a treasure.

[@gmann6269]

Photo of Cleese's mother is shown - Taylor: "Oh my God...." (as in "Aw, that's so sweet"), then Cleese: "Yeah, that was after she died."

[@KingGhidorah5464]

“Nearby silent horses” killed me

[@BanditQ]

John’s mom sounds like Sybil’s mother in law!

[@sarina76667]

Sounds like my grandma on my mother’s side. I’d visit her every Sunday with my roommate/best friend. One day she was telling me about her “near death experience” she had the day before. “I was having trouble breathing and my chest hurt and I thought I must be having a heart attack!” Her face lit up when she said this. She was smiling ear to ear. So excited! “And then I realized… Nope. Just heartburn… Damn…” Her expression dropped so suddenly to serious and pouty that my roommate and I lost it. I always loved her sense of humor. She’s probably the reason why that whole side of the family has such a sarcastic and dark wit.

[@spunz83ify]

"that was after she died." Fucking gold...

[@chillipompom5263]

This was recomended by youtube for no reason and i loved it. john cleese is a world treasure with his unique savage dark humor

[@rajasimanta]

I wish they were young forever, we needed more Monty Python than there is ... Could cure world's depression

[@raehalls7951]

I LOVE HIM!!! He's so funny, forever my number one dinner party guest

[@danielcropp8553]

Very kind of him to make such an offer to his mother. When I make that offer to my mom, she always says, "How did you get this number?"

[@anneanne9009]

John Cleese is a legend.

[@Yoshitakaminami]

Thanks Anne. You’re a huge fan

[@qwertyls8552]

Her knees are so smooth...

[@Yoshitakaminami]

😊😊

[@ScarlettBrescia]

Taylor needs to binge watch some British comedies they are legendary and brilliant

[@Vikotnick]

She is very lucky to have this time with mr Cleese. She will understand it more as she gets older.

[@MD-gz5yw]

Taylor had good story telling. Big shoes to fill next to John. I think you did great!

[@Hirnlego999]

Besides, Cleese told that same story in many interviews.

[@34hedgehog]

Considering who she's sitting beside, I think she handles it pretty well. She's obviously bright and articulate, has a good sense of humour, and seems like a decent person. Can't say fairer than that.

[@Barzins1]

I love her. I hope my kids grow up to be so generous and kind.

[@rothboy]

Taylor Swift experiencing a crash course in British humour

[@audikris]

Parrot houses??!?!?! LOL

[@SebHaarfagre]

9 out of 10 of those phobias sound directly related to the World Wars she were a part of :p

[@tarnopol]

I come back to this clip at least six times a year. So fucking funny. Taylor hangs with him on it, too--nicely done. (Then, later in the show, she got pissed about Cleese's joke about her cat; well, you can't win 'em all.)

[@oliverholmes-gunning5372]

I wonder if that served as the inspiration for Sybil's mother- "open spaces, confined spaces... Difficult to get the space right for her really"

[@amyjones637]

nearly definitely

[@cmarq817]

The cricket guy is the 3rd wheel. A show with just JC snd TS would be great!

[@zoelomas233]

Nearby silent horses 😆

[@davidekstrand8544]

“This picture is before your mother passed away.” “No, that’s after she died.” (WOW! 🤣)

[@nostromo4269]

Love John Clease

[@hairtrigger8317]

John Cleese is hilarious and Taylor Swift is gorgeous.

[@uhohhotdog9150]

did no one notice the random hand on his shoulder in the picture. im kind of terrified

[@jacquesgotts-duffield2440]

Is this a joke it his moms hand

[@uhohhotdog9150]

Jacques Gotts-Duffield look closely at the picture. Its impossible that her hand was there.

[@mollywinda8537]

they have edited someone out of the picture, as you can tell by the dark patch behind john cleese's head! probably for privacy reasons or they didn't want their picture on the show

[@uhohhotdog9150]

i heard it may have been his ex

[@baboom007]

It's my hand but i can't appear on Tv, work issue

[@jpaschl]

I love John cleese and his work I love taylor swift for different reasons;)

[@loodlebop]

"She was a little bit down this week for fifty fucking years!"

[@shananalexander9789]

John Cleese I love you

[@Yoshitakaminami]

Thanks for the love and support 🌹🌹

[@gmann6269]

The funny thing is Taylor Swift is very much John Cleese's type - blonde American woman with "rodental" features (his words!)

[@allisonwinchester3108]

John cleese is an absolute comedy god.

[@akanecortich8197]

John Cleese is still hillarious

[@natashajohnson186]

Tays I like you’re mum . John I love you’re mum

[@joeschmoe3665]

John Cleese’s dark humor is my humor he’s a classy guy with quick wit

[@alicepahler9418]

I think John Cleese is iconic and I love Taylor Swift's sense of humor. This was my favorite interview ever!

[@Silirion]

”Beat that!” said with the loving eyes of a man Looking at an endearing young lady.

[@philippecal6787]

Franchement, elle s'en sort très bien face à King Cleese !

[@eatmyshortz1242]

My man got the ultimate Mom 🤣

[@TheStuport]

John told this story on Conan...and it's STILL Charming!! Cheers Everyone

[@marcossan9988]

All nice

[@keeperofthecheese]

I seem to remember Stephen Fry saying in his autobiography that Cambridge University humour (Cleese, Idle and Chapman) was dark and serious and based in logic, while oxford university humour (Jones and Palin) was based in funny characters and visual skits. You can literally tell who wrote what sketches divided down those lines. When Terry Gilliam joined Python he was far more Cambridge style childish humour, and so the group was divided 50-50 between dark comedy and visual slapstick, the perfect combination!

[@angemaidment5640]

“I’ve got a sherry party” 🤣🤣🤣

[@chirangautam1497]

No, man i think so humor is the best emotion. And find humor in everything...you will ne much happy.

[@AmericasChoice]

The genius who decided to put Cleese and Swift on the same couch.

[@herrloriot8560]

Wowser, Taylor is witty, classy and comes across intelligent. I am a fan now !

[@NibberKSmooth]

John is GREAT.

[@rdzm1374]

She's lovely.

[@KayEmCee92]

How can you not get Johns humour? He is absolutely hilarious and now I’m off to watch Fawlty Towers.

[@p42uynot59]

That was a REALLY good spar by both John and Taylor. Hilarious

[@5p4rrow]

nearby silent horses fucking got me

[@Omertahun]

You can know that you are not completely shit when you make John Cleese laugh

[@Musicmatttheonly1]

Most Americans don't get brit humor. But it was interesting that they both compared mothers. THAT! is something I never thought I'd see

[@mrahmadhussain09]

MARTHA...!!

[@clashfan2875]

I'm no Taylor Swift fan but I watched this whole show. Cleese thought she was charming, which shows even in this clip. The cricket guy was the odd man out on this couch, unfunny and sort of offensive all through the show. I don't know why everyone keeps harping on how she doesn't get any of his jokes when she so clearly does.

[@NicoleTunis]

John Cleese seems very respectful of her and who she is. John Cleese is John Cleese and he is unapologetically so. No one can expect either of the other 2 guests to be him or tell a story like he does, but I think Taylor does a good job of telling her story in her way and I love that they are comparing notes on their neurotic mothers! Sure she seems a little out of her comfort zone given the age, experience and cultural differences, but in this clip she seems to be getting into the spirit of it. And she made John Cleese laugh! doesn't get much cooler than that as far as life experiences go :-D

[@edgyteenboi3635]

"Cricket Guy" You don't wanna do this honey

[@themaggattack]

Fair enough. But let's not shit on the poor Cricket guy, now.

[@Wally-H]

Kevin Pietersen is a massive bellend. His England cricket career ended not because of his performances, but because he was so hated in the dressing room and among the coaching staff that they decided they couldn't cope anymore. One of his former team mates said of him: "he fell in love with himself aged 16 and it's been a lifelong romance ever since"

[@ColtraneTaylor]

He's just an old man who likes young women for their looks.

[@TheArcher101]

British humour is the best humour

[@easybake8420]

I thought Jewish humor was the best humor. Not white Anglo-Saxon Protestant humor. If he were at least half Jewish, he would have been funnier.

[@RichardPierpoint-fc2wy]

@@easybake8420 Well, considering that Britain hasn't been "Anglo-Saxon" since 1066, I would say it is a moot point, wouldn't you?

[@GoldFaceFella]

He's amazing

[@robharris2483]

Cleese, obviously a comedy legend, was in stitches from......Taylor Swift? Never would have imagined that. I have no affection for her music, but she is quite funny.

[@erictaylor5462]

You can't stay depressed long if John Cleese is your son. "It's just a flesh wound!"

[@myaccount6905]

Owwww... we don’t wonna go there... ☺️☺️☺️👍

[@g-r-a-e-m-e-]

His mother's list of annoying things were nearly all LOUD. Many people find LOUD noises pretty annoying or even frightening. Some people are more sensitive to sound.

[@jagjag1277]

Easily the most transcendent personality in TV. I'm a millennial and I'm laughing hard.

[@mollybambrough5030]

Taylor just doesn't get his humour

[@the-kris5554]

Yup his astoundingly British humour is alien to many Americans...

[@outdoormirrorist3404]

Taylor Swift is the poster child for pc sjw retardation. Naturally, the last thing she wants in her life is intelligent comedy or actual enjoyment. Of course she doesn't "get it", just like many other celebrities. They are only capable of seeing reality in broad strokes of wealth, addiction, exhibitionism, self-hatred, arrogance and drama. That is the entire language of their minds and little else.

[@stevencassidy6982]

Yeah she didn't get his humour

[@teampurenation3965]

lilly rush well she was laughing at his jokes...

[@NewhamMatt]

She's clearly not used to Cleese's sense of humour, but you can see her starting to adjust to it in different clips from this episode. Her reaction when John deliberately takes a shot at women is priceless, and the story at the end about the candles is right up John's alley - he's spoken on more than one occasion about the importance of coming up with an unexpected twist in comedy, instead of going for the obvious punchline.

[@movielover4244]

John icon

[@sandybathwater8385]

16 seconds in and my side is split

[@wendyraymond1751]

John Cleese ur a legend .. hilarious x

[@groupcaptainbonzo]

It’s obvious tha John loved and respected his mum hugely. Less obvious is that , now, so do I 😂

[@BritishComedyUK69]

Great memories

[@SamiKrasniqi]

I read “ so anyway…” , had snoot coming out of my nose , tears on my eyes, only way I can talk to my mother today, hilarious! When his family moved to a farm during the war and they had to use a boy that was going to school to translate for them and their farmer landlord because his accent was so heavy it didn’t sound like English 😂

[@francerichard801]

Good God he’s funny!!!!!!!!! English people can be so funny!!!!!!

[@Markus_Andrew]

That list of Cleese's mother's fears reminded me of Sybil in Fawlty Towers listing *her* mother's fears, only Sybil finished with, "...and she's always on about men following her. I don't know what she thinks they're going to do to her - vomit on her, Basil says".

[@toffybatter1034]

MA. Well remembered lol.

[@ellen5603]

I don't get people who are saying Taylor doesn't have a sense of humor. Her story about her mom is funny. Not John Cleese funny, but come on, he's JOHN CLEESE.

[@uleczkakropeczka570]

Ellen Lee Did you watch the rest of the interview? It gets really awkward later on. One joke can't make you forget how unfunny she is

[@jessicalee333]

People will say whatever they can think of because they don't like her. It's a ridiculous comparison anyway. She never claimed to be a comedian, but people are saying she has no sense of humor because she's not as funny as one of the greatest living comedians? She did make _him_ laugh, though. As non-comedians go, she's reasonably funny - unless you're filled with rage and hatred for her, in which case nothing she does will ever be acceptable.

[@megapintofwine1068]

she looks like she wanna punch him the whole time LOL

[@Redeemer216]

She's not a comedian so people need to get off their high horses and stop expecting every famous person to be ultra entertaining with everything they do. I mean seriously. Wtf. Anyways you don't need to be funny to have a sense of humor.

[@felipe_cunha]

She did make him laugh quite a lot

[@NewhamMatt]

You saw it here first folks! Taylor Swift made John Cleese laugh!

[@MrPach19]

NewhamMatt pity laughs

[@WilfredZweverink]

MrPach19 I don't think so...

[@RichardPierpoint-cu5ql]

@@MrPach19 GFY, prick - many thanks, arsehole...

[@mjproebstle]

what a treasure!

[@kathleenmckenna1803]

Taylor looks like a young Diane Lockhart from the good wife here

[@MaartenvanRossemLezingen]

I'm done watching the video but I still haven't recovered from the "that was after she died" joke.

[@lewief3289]

He sounds like Q from James bond

[@EVERTONFC.]

Happy 6.08am.