Film director Terry Gilliam has responded to the BBC’s latest diversity measures, saying: “I no longer want to be a white male... I tell the world now I’m a black lesbian.”

The BBC recently unveiled its new comedy programming commitment to telling “stories that haven’t been told” and bringing “the voices we haven’t yet heard” to screen and radio.

When giving a press conference on the new measures, controller of comedy commissioning Shane Allen was questioned about Monty Python, answering: “If you’re going to assemble a team now, it’s not going to be six Oxbridge white blokes. It’s going to be a diverse range of people who reflect the modern world.”

John Cleese was the first Python to respond, calling the group “remarkably diverse for our time” on Twitter. Gilliam has followed suit, saying Allen’s response made him cry.

Indyplus gallery: Monty Python's archive pictures Show all 4 1 /4 Indyplus gallery: Monty Python's archive pictures Indyplus gallery: Monty Python's archive pictures pythons2.jpg 1978: All six members of the Monty Python team on location in Tunisia to film 'Monty Python's Life of Brian' Getty Images Indyplus gallery: Monty Python's archive pictures pythons3.jpg British comedy group Monty Python are to reunite for a stage show. Terry Jones, has confirmed that he along with all the other remaining members, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam and Michael Palin will confirm their plans in a press conference in London on Thursday Getty Images Indyplus gallery: Monty Python's archive pictures pythons4.jpg The Monty Python team imitate journalist and broadcaster Alan Whicker. Left to right: John Cleese, Michael Palin, Eric Idle, Graham Chapman (1941 - 1989) and Terry Jones Getty Images Indyplus gallery: Monty Python's archive pictures python1.jpg British comedy troupe Monty Python lounge about at the site of their filmed live show at the Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood, California, 1982 Getty Images

“It made me cry: the idea that… no longer six white Oxbridge men can make a comedy show,” the director told a crowd at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival following a screening of The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, according to The Guardian.

“Now we need one of this, one of that, everybody represented… this is bullshit. I no longer want to be a white male, I don’t want to be blamed for everything wrong in the world: I tell the world now I’m a black lesbian… My name is Loretta and I’m a BLT, a black lesbian in transition.”

(Rex)

Gilliam concluded: “[Allen’s] statement made me so angry, all of us so angry. Comedy is not assembled, it’s not like putting together a boy band where you put together one of this, one of that everyone is represented.”