John Cleese blasts ‘sloppy Piers Morgan’ for Hugh Grant row
Monty Python star John Cleese has described Piers Morgan as ‘lazy’ amid the journalist and broadcaster’s feud with Hugh Grant.
Morgan, 59, has been embroiled in a beef with the Love, Actually star, 64, after the government ruled out a reopening of The Leveson Inquiry – which would have investigated and potentially restricted media activity in the UK.
Grant has been a passionate advocate for a second investigation, which was initially instigated in 2012 due to allegations of phone hacking by newspapers at Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp and Trinity Mirror.
Speaking out on Radio 4 of the decision not to re-open the inquiry, Grant said: ‘I have some sympathy, when I’m in a generous mood, for politicians terrified of the Murdochs.’
This statement attracted the ire of Morgan, who accused the actor of being a ‘hypocrite’ who had earned ‘millions of pounds’ by making films for Murdoch-owned companies… a claim Grant strenuously denied.
Fawlty Towers star Cleese, 85, has since weighed in, describing Morgan’s mind as ‘sloppy.’
Writing on X, Cleese shared his thoughts on the situation, saying: ‘There is what was called a Twitterspat between Hugh Grant and Piers Morgan.’
He continued: ‘It clearly illustrates the difference between a well-educated mind and a lazy, sloppy tabloid one.
‘The man who is defending Murdoch [Piers Morgan] has taken millions from him. Hugh and I choose not to work for him.’
Cleese’s defence of Grant came as Morgan branded the actor a ‘hypocrite,’ claiming that he had ‘took many millions of pounds from Rupert Murdoch to make movies for him.’
In response, Grant wrote: ‘Bulls**t. The last time I worked for a Murdoch owned company was in 1994. Which was long before I knew anything about his papers’ methods. Since then I have turned down every single job offer emanating from a Murdoch owned company.’
In the ensuing back-and-forth, Morgan wrote: ‘UPDATE: Your movie Florence Foster Jenkins was distributed by Murdoch-owned (at the time) 20th Century Fox in the UK.’
Grant hit back, saying: ‘That film was made for the BBC and Pathé. My contract was with them. I have no control over which local distributor is subsequently used in various countries. Fox was just local distributor for the UK. Keep up.’
Amid the shots fired, the Britain’s Got Talent judge also fielded a suggestion from followers that he and Grant should settle matters with a fistfight.
‘Any time. Did you see his fountain ‘fight’ in Bridget Jones? I’ve seen harder Weebles,’ Morgan asserted.
‘I literally trained in a boxing gym yesterday…’ he bragged as one follower called his level of fitness into doubt. ‘and if I hit Grant half as hard as I hit the mitts, he’d snap in half. 🥊’
Place your bets now, folks.
John Cleese blasts ‘sloppy Piers Morgan’ for Hugh Grant row