'I am blacklisting myself': 'Monty Python' star John Cleese pulls out of university talk over 'woke rules'

John Cleese poses for photos as he walks on the red carpet to receive the Sarajevo Film Festival's top honour award, the Heart of Sarajevo Award, in Sarajevo, Bosnia, on Aug. 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Amel Emric)

Comedian John Cleese, best known for his time in "Monty Python," appeared to remove himself from a talk scheduled this week at the Cambridge Union, citing "woke rules" after another speaker was chastised by the debating society.

"I was looking forward to talking to students at the Cambridge Union this Friday, but I hear that someone there has been blacklisted for doing an impersonation of Hitler," he tweeted on Thursday. "I regret that I did the same on a Monty Python show, so I am blacklisting myself before someone else does."

Reports out of the U.K. indicated art historian Andrew Graham-Dixon had been blacklisted by the Cambridge Union after performing an impression of Adolf Hitler during an event last week, a decision that has apparently since been reversed.

"I apologise to anyone at Cambridge who was hoping to talk with me, but perhaps some of you can find a venue where woke rules do not apply," Cleese added.

Founded in 1815, the Cambridge Union bills itself as the oldest debating society in the world, and hosts talks regularly at University of Cambridge in England.

On Nov. 6, it published a letter on Facebook apologizing for one of its speakers who had "employed a crass and deeply insensitive impression of Hitler" during a debate about the existence of good taste.

The society posted a notice Thursday regarding its scheduled event with Cleese: "We are communicating with his team on the status of the event, and we will provide further updates as soon as we know more."

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