The answer is CLEESE (6 letters). The clue points to John Cleese, one of the six founding members of Monty Python.
Why CLEESE fits
Crossword constructors lean on Monty Python because the troupe gives them six usable surnames, several of which are vowel-friendly and fit awkward grid slots. When the clue names a first name and then the troupe, the answer is almost always the surname.
John Cleese co-founded Monty Python in 1969 and appeared throughout Monty Python’s Flying Circus, Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Life of Brian. He later created and starred in Fawlty Towers, which is why you will also see him clued as “Fawlty Towers star” or “Basil Fawlty portrayer”.
Answer by letter count
| Letters | Answer | When it is used |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | CLEESE | The standard answer for this clue |
| 4 | JOHN | When the clue reverses and gives the surname instead |
The other Monty Python members in crosswords
If CLEESE does not fit your grid, check whether the clue is pointing at a different Python. These are the surnames that turn up most often:
- IDLE (4) for Eric Idle. The most common of all, because four letters and three vowels make it a constructor favourite.
- PALIN (5) for Michael Palin, sometimes clued as a travel documentary presenter.
- CHAPMAN (7) for Graham Chapman.
- GILLIAM (7) for Terry Gilliam, often clued through his directing work rather than Python.
- JONES (5) for Terry Jones, though this one is usually clued through a different Jones because the surname is so common.
How to confirm the answer in your grid
Count the squares first. If the entry is six long and the third letter crosses a word ending in E, CLEESE is almost certainly right. The doubled E in the middle is the giveaway and it is unusual enough that once one crossing letter lands, the rest falls into place.
If the entry is four long, you are looking at either JOHN or IDLE, and the crossing letters will separate them quickly since they share no letters in the same position.