Veteran TV star John Cleese has admitted to being careless with his money after the settlement for divorcing his third wife Alyce cost him over £12 million. 

Speaking in a Q&A tour event, the Monty Python and Fawlty Towers star, who is now married to his fourth wife, said he “never knew how much money he had” and that this has caused him a lot of financial problems, especially when settling his marital affairs. 

His three divorces have cost him an estimated £25 million, including first wife Connie Booth, who had played his on-screen wife Sybil in Fawlty Towers, and actress Barbara Trentham.

Advising fans to pay more attention to their financial dealings, he remarked: “I never understand money and I don’t find it very interesting, which is a real disadvantage in the world that we live in,” admitting he had often been “vague” about his level of wealth.

“I have just relied on people and in one or two cases that has been very good, but in one or two others, it has been disastrous,” Mr Cleese acknowledged.

Mr Cleese is still a multi-millionaire, so he won’t be struggling anytime soon. However, his words may be heeded by those who need the services of divorce solicitors in Epsom, who might fear an unfavourable settlement that will leave them very short of money.

The figures involved in John Cleese’s divorces may be large, but even they have been dwarfed by the massive £100 million former media mogul Sir Patrick Barclay has been faced with paying his ex-wife.

A case over the figure, which the 87-year-old has yet to pay, has seen his former spouse Lady Barclay asking the judge to jail the former co-owner of the Telegraph Group over his failure to meet the settlement to date. 

She alleged he was trying to string out the case until “until one or other of us dies”.