Skip to main content

John Cleese asks for place to stay in Huntsville, Ont., after Airbnb misunderstanding

Share
OTTAWA -

Several people have offered up their homes and cottages in Huntsville, Ont., to famous actor John Cleese, after a misunderstanding with Airbnb left him without a place to stay while filming a movie in the area.

Cleese, an actor perhaps best known as the co-founder of the comedy group ‘Monty Python,’ tweeted on Monday that his Airbnb in Huntsville had been rented to another person, even though he said the company had already taken his money.

“Does anyone in Huntsville, Ontario have a nice place I can rent to live in while I make a film,” Cleese tweeted. “Airbnb took our money but now say they've given our house to someone else.”

Since sending the tweet, several people have responded offering up their cottages and lake houses for rent during filming.

“Great rate for you,” Jeanette Grant tweeted. “Only requires one bit of Basil. Manuel and I promise not to mention the war,” referring to his classic television show “Fawlty Towers.”

Meanwhile, another Twitter user suggested: “Come and stay here John I promise not to quote Python stuff.”

In an email to CTVNews.ca on Wednesday, a spokesperson for Airbnb said Cleese attempted a booking in the Muskoka region, but the host never accepted it and he was fully refunded after the booking was denied.

“We are truly honoured that a legend such as Mr. Cleese would be interested in booking an Airbnb listing,” the company said in the statement.

“We’ve been in touch with his team throughout the day to provide our support and help clarify the situation, in addition to a coupon for their next booking due to this inconvenience. Wherever he stays, we hope Mr. Cleese and his team have an incredible experience in the beautiful Muskoka region.”

It is not clear which movie Cleese is filming in the area, though according to IMDB he is currently in pre-production of “Cut the Painter,” where he stars as Harry, a man living in a small Canadian town who takes in a former writing partner with a terminal illness.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Local Spotlight

Record-setting pop tab collection for Ontario boy

It started small with a little pop tab collection to simply raise some money for charity and help someone — but it didn’t take long for word to get out that 10-year-old Jace Weber from Mildmay, Ont. was quickly building up a large supply of aluminum pop tabs.