John Cleese has revealed he had ‘a minor operation’ on Friday to remove a cancerous tumour from his leg.
Posting on Twitter on Monday evening, the Monty Python star, 80, made light of his health scare, insisting ‘at my age this sort of thing happens about once a week’ and making a classic Monty Python joke about it all.
‘Had a minor operation on Friday. A surgeon cut a small cancerous bit out of my leg Very minor,’ the star told his 5.7m followers.
Health scare: John Cleese has revealed he had ‘a minor operation’ on Friday to remove a cancerous tumour from his leg
‘At my age this sort of thing happens about once a week He did a beautiful job, sewed it up and said ‘Tis but a scratch.’
This is a reference to the sketch featuring The Black Knight from Monty Python And The Holy Grail
The character – played by the Fawlty Towers icon – guards a short plank of wood over a small stream, claiming it’s a bridge, before he comes face-to-face with King Arthur.
Blocking the king’s way, the knight has his arm chopped off – to which he remarks ’tis but a scratch’.
Seeing the funny side: Posting on Twitter on Monday evening, the Monty Python star, 80, made light of his health scare, insisting ‘at my age this sort of thing happens about once a week’ and making a classic Monty Python joke about it all
![Joker: He posted - 'At my age this sort of thing happens about once a week He did a beautiful job, sewed it up and said 'Tis but a scratch' - which is a reference to the sketch featuring The Black Knight from Monty Python And The Holy Grail [pictured]](https://i2.wp.com/i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/06/08/21/29376578-8400211-Joker_He_posted_At_my_age_this_sort_of_thing_happens_about_once_-a-111_1591648912422.jpg?resize=634%2C352&ssl=1)
Joker: He posted – ‘At my age this sort of thing happens about once a week He did a beautiful job, sewed it up and said ‘Tis but a scratch’ – which is a reference to the sketch featuring The Black Knight from Monty Python And The Holy Grail [pictured]
John often references this gag on social media.
Just the other day he shared an image of the The Black Knight superimposed into a still from Batman film The Dark Knight.
He also used the character’s gradual injuries to highlight the year 2020 thus far.
Posting a cartoon version of the character last month, he captioned the post: ‘Let’s bite the legs off of May and the rest of 2020!’
Reference: The character – played by the Fawlty Towers icon – guards a short plank of wood over a small stream, claiming it’s a bridge, before he comes face-to-face with King Arthur. Blocking the king’s way, the knight has his arm chopped off – to which he remarks ’tis but a scratch’
![Fave gag: John often references these characters on social media [pictured on the set of the 1975 film as Sir Lancelot The Brave]](https://i0.wp.com/i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/06/08/21/29376582-8400211-Fave_gag_John_often_references_these_characters_on_social_media_-a-118_1591649183375.jpg?resize=634%2C639&ssl=1)
Fave gag: John often references these characters on social media [pictured on the set of the 1975 film as Sir Lancelot The Brave]
A Knight to remember: Just the other day he shared an image of the The Black Knight superimposed into a still from Batman film The Dark Knight
The actor’s operation comes over two decades after he suffered a prostate cancer scare in 1996.
He said of this at the time: ‘I now live on the basis that I might at any given moment fall under a bus.’
The Monty Python group has lost two of its members – with Graham Chapman dying of cancer in 1989 and Terry Jones passing away from dementia in January of this year, aged 77.
Funny: He also used the character’s gradual injuries to highlight the year 2020 thus far
![The old days: The Monty Python group featured [L-R] Michael Palin, John, Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones [pictured in 1979]](https://i1.wp.com/i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/06/08/21/29377264-8400211-image-a-120_1591649432985.jpg?resize=634%2C427&ssl=1)
The old days: The Monty Python group featured [L-R] Michael Palin, John, Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones [pictured in 1979]
John – who survives the two comedians along with fellow stars Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam and Eric Idle – remarked at the time: ‘Two down, four to go!’
He also poignantly said at the time: ‘It feels strange that a man of so many talents and such endless enthusiasm, should have faded so gently away…
‘Of his many achievements, for me the greatest gift he gave us all was his direction of Life Of Brian. Perfection.’
Back in April, John joined Instagram ‘due to the boredom of quarantine’.
Now: John and the three remaining Monty Python stars are pictured in 2014. The Monty Python group has lost two of its members – with Graham Chapman dying of cancer in 1989 and Terry Jones passing away from dementia in January of this year, aged 77
Say Cleese! John joined Instagram in April ‘due to the boredom of quarantine’
He posted a video introducing himself and playfully said: ‘Have we started? Hello! I am John Cleese and in this period of self-isolation, I’ve decided that I am going to open my own killergram… Instant-gram… sorry, Instagram.
‘So that you can come and visit me and see thousands of the most private and intimate things from my phone.
‘Very sorry this wasn’t better, but you’ve got to start somewhere.’
He posted a video introducing himself and said: ‘Have we started? Hello! I am John Cleese and in this period of self-isolation, I’ve decided that I am going to open my own killergram… Instant-gram… sorry, Instagram’
He also wrote in the comments section; ‘Hello Instagram! I am here. #johncleese #1stpost.’
Before long, he already had more than 6000 followers and rising.
His latest offering comes a fortnight after he mocked the paltry royalty payments he receives for narrating Winnie The Pooh, revealing that one of his residual cheques totalled just 17 pence.
The comedy legend took to Twitter to blast the low payments he banks for his voice work on the 2011 Disney movie – which had a budget of £26 million ($29 million) and made just £43 million ($49 million) worldwide at the box office.
Getting new followers: John squinted at the screen as he shared this first post and said: ‘Sorry this wasn’t better’
A popular man: Before long, John already had more than 6000 followers and rising
Screen star John, said: ‘In these difficult times, the arrival of residuals boosts my morale. Today I received royalties from The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: $0.20.’
It wasn’t the only movie the Fawlty Towers star blasted for a low payment, as he took aim at 2003 comedy sequel Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, writing: ‘Even better, from Charlie’s Angels – Full Throttle: $3.81.’
Referring to the coronavirus pandemic and official advice for those over the age of 70 to stay home for 12 weeks to help flatten the curve of the potentially-deadly virus, he added: ‘Where shall I celebrate tonight? I know! My room!’
Paltry pay: John recently mocked the paltry royalty payments he receives for narrating Winnie The Pooh, revealing that one of his residual cheques totalled just 17 pence
Narrator: The star served as narrator for the 2011 Disney movie, which had a budget of £26 million ($29 million) and made just £43 million ($49 million) worldwide at the box office
Fans of the star were shocked by his revelation and expressed how much they loved his work for Winnie the Pooh, to which the comedian quipped to one follower: ‘One of my favourite jobs!
‘My wife and I collect Winnie the Pooh prints, along with Wind in the Willows and Alice in Wonderland. All part of a carefully planned strategy not to grow up too much.’
Meanwhile, the Monty Python star recently offered fans the chance to meet him for £235 ($275) via US website Fanmio.
Pennies: Screen star John said: ‘In these difficult times, the arrival of residuals boosts my morale. Today I received royalties from The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: $0.20’