Funnyman John Cleese reflects on trying LSD for the first time at 65

Fawlty Towers star John Cleese may have developed a reputation for being a grumpy old man over recent years but the legendary comedian is still open to new experiences and admits to trying LSD for the first time at age 65.

The 85 year old Monty Python alum opened up to The Times’ Weekend magazine and explained that he was “surprisingly ignorant” about drugs and was “never interested” in them, unlike many of his generation who heeded the call from counter-cultural icon Timothy Leahry to “turn on, tune in and drop out.”

It wasn’t until 2005 that he decided to try the potent hallucinogen, which “can alter a person’s perception of reality and vividly distort the senses,” under supervision and was left in amazement by how “fertile the human mind is”.

Cleese told the publication that “I just wanted to know what it was all about” but made sure he was monitored by “one of the world experts” on the psychedelic drug so he felt “perfectly safe.”

“I got scared for about 10 minutes in the middle, and he and his wife saw me through that,” he said.

“But it was extraordinary to realise how fertile the human mind is.”

While the admission was surprising, Cleese has never been shy about sharing his feelings on numerous topics including cancel culture, political correctness and “wokeness”

He touched on such matters while reflecting on his time working on GB News show The Dinosaur Hour, which ran for 10 episodes in 2023 and featured interviews with Stephen Fry, Caitlyn Jenner and others.

“I was allowed to say what I wanted and enjoyed that,” Cleese told The Oldie magazine.

“On one program, we had three academics and discussed this whole woke business.

“What annoys me is how some people think they have invented kindness, but kindness has always been there.

“Kindness is everywhere, and much of my comedy is about teasing people with affection.”

-with BANG.