John Cleese says woke culture is having 'disastrous' impact on creativity in comedy

John Cleese has said woke culture stifles creativity and is having a "disastrous effect" on comedy.

The Monty Python and Fawlty Towers legend, 82, said the current climate was "difficult" for up and coming comedians.

He opened up to Fox News at the FreedomFest conference in Las Vegas, suggesting that comedians now don't have the freedom to be funny.

Read more: Monty Python's John Cleese under fire over 'transphobic' tweet

The star said: "I think it's particularly worrying at the moment because you can only create in an atmosphere of freedom, where you're not checking everything you say critically before you move on...

"And a lot of comedians now are sitting there and when they think of something, they say something like, 'Can I get away with it? I don't think so. So and so got into trouble, and he said that, Oh, she said that.'

"You see what I mean? And that's the death of creativity."

The star said that when people are too worried about causing offence, they are not able to be very creative.

Cleese has spoken out about cancel culture before and is going to explore the phenomenon in a new series.

The screen star will meet both those affected by being cancelled and those who are behind the cancelling in Channel 4 series John Cleese: Cancel Me.

He will question whether it is possible to make good comedy without offending someone, and will look at the effects on the lives of people who have caused outrage with their work or comments.

Cleese’s own work has recently been edited for modern audiences.

Read more: John Cleese pokes fun at Hank Azaria's apology for Simpsons character Apu

Last year an episode of the controversial Fawlty Towers episode The Germans aired with racist language removed.

Watch: John Cleese reveals why he would have to re-write Fawlty Towers