Cleese says reunion 'unlikely'

John Cleese has all but ruled out a Monty Python reunion, claiming the surviving members are too busy.

He says he hasn't met Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Eric Idle and Terry Gilliam for four years, but insists they are still on friendly terms.

A new DVD release of The Meaning of Life in the US does contain new sketches - but they team did not meet up to record them.

Cleese said: "It is absolutely impossible to get even a majority of us together in a room, and I'm not joking."

He said Palin was currently in the Himalayas, Gilliam in Prague, Jones was working on a history documentary, and Idle was in Canada.

"We had all sort of thoughts about doing a final stage tour," he added: "And then Michael, who is painfully nice, who finds it impossible to say 'No', finally summoned up the courage to say 'No' - at which point Eric became very cross."

Published: 10 Sep 2003