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ACTOR John Cleese has revealed he turned down a peerage more than 10 years ago because he didn’t fancy living in Britain during the winter.

The Fawlty Towers star was offered a seat in the House of Lords by Lib Dem leader Paddy Ashdown but turned it down saying that living in England was “too much of a price to pay”.

Cleese, a generous donor to the Liberal Democrats who has appeared in several party political broadcasts, declined the offer shortly before Ashdown quit as leader in 1999. Speaking on the eve of his new tour the comedian, who divides his time between California and England, said: “I turned down a peerage actually.

“Paddy was going to offer me one when he ceased to be leader of the Lib Dems, for political services – not because I was a wonderful human being but because I’d helped them a lot. But I realised this involved being in England in the winter and I thought that was too much of a price to pay.” He also says he turned down a CBE in 1996 “because I think they are silly”.

The 71-year-old’s two-month tour, An Evening with the Legendary John Cleese, has been dubbed The Alimony Tour in reference to the £12million divorce from his third wife, which was settled in America in 2009.

Cleese, now dating Bath-based jewellery designer Jennifer Wade, 40, has called the settlement “absurd”.

But despite the acrimonious split from Alyce Faye Eichelberger, he has not ruled out marrying again. “I like the idea of it. I think it’s a lovely idea to spend a lot of time with someone.”