Fawlty Towers star's 'guilt' for harbouring 50 year secret

Fawlty Towers star Connie Booth has admitted to feeling like a "fraud" for the acclaim she's received for her role in creating the iconic BBC comedy set in Torquay. Booth, who co-created the Devon-inspired series with her then-husband John Cleese, also played the sensible waitress Polly opposite Cleese's hot-headed hotel owner Basil Fawlty. The duo conceived memorable scenes such as the car-thrashing incident, Manuel the waiter being slapped on the head, the Waldorf salad fiasco and the infamous "Don't mention the war" catchphrase with the German guests. However, despite the praise lavished upon her for the sitcom's timeless moments, Booth confessed to feeling like an imposter as she only penned half of the show.

In an interview with Radio Times, she revealed: "In the year-and-a-half it took to write Fawlty Towers, John and I never imagined the impact the show would have." She continued: "On its 50th anniversary, I'd like to take the opportunity to get something straight. John wrote the dialogue. For half a century, I've been receiving praise for lines which John wrote. When people quote back words from the script, instead of flattered I felt counterfeit. I've had to say, 'No, John wrote that'.

"Because I'm American, this disclosure about the pitch-perfect dialogue may be self-evident, but at this celebration of our work, one of the things I wanted to celebrate was the truth."

Despite being set in Torquay, the majority of the location filming for Fawlty Towers was carried out in Harrow and Wembley.

Booth, aged 84, expressed her surprise at the enduring popularity of the comedy, which continues to be adored by millions today. She also shed light on some of the challenges faced during the creation of Fawlty Towers, including the issue of shared authorship.

"Before that dialogue was written, he and I developed the plots," she revealed. "Each episode took about a month to contrive. Out of the ridiculous complications of farce, his brilliant lines emerged.

"When the question of billing came up, I thought 'Written by John Cleese, storyline by us both' would've been acceptable to me. John said they didn't do that in TV comedy and insisted on co-authorship. Accepting John's generous offer turned out to be a kind of poisoned chalice."

In a separate conversation with the magazine last year, Cleese was full of praise for Booth's writing skills. He stated: "She was invaluable there: she was better on character, I was better on plot. I can get caught up in plot and then start putting the character maybe slightly off centre and she was always the one who said, 'No no, that's not right for the character at that moment'."

Fawlty Towers aired for merely 12 episodes spanning from its inaugural series in 1975 through to its second run in 1979, a period during which Booth and Cleese had separated yet continued their professional partnership.

However, since its initial transmission on September 19, 1975, few could have anticipated the enduring influence it would wield five decades on.

The programme maintains a devoted following, has generated a triumphant stage adaptation, and its absurd comedy has influenced countless subsequent comedy writers.

In 2019, it claimed the top spot in a Radio Times poll of Britain's finest 20 sitcoms of all time.

Booth revealed to the publication: "Fawlty Towers succeeds, I think, because it allows infantile rage and aggression a field day in a buttoned down, well-mannered English society.

"It's unique in being a farce, with all the plot surprises and precision that the style requires. And it doesn't hurt that the star of the show is a six-foot-five comic genius. If he was shorter I can't imagine how it would have worked."

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Beyond Fawlty Towers, the American performer featured in several episodes of Monty Python's Flying Circus alongside its film The Life of Brian, and secured minor roles in various television programmes throughout the 1990s.

In 1995, she left acting behind to pursue training as a psychotherapist before stepping away from professional work entirely.

She is currently wed to fellow American theatre critic John Lahr. Cleese, her former husband, is gearing up to launch his new book, a reflection on his cherished moments from the show.

His book, titled 'Fawlty Towers: Fawlts and All', is scheduled for release on 9 October.

Before this, he will be gracing St George's concert hall in Bristol on 27 August for an exclusive live Q&A session to commemorate its golden anniversary and discuss the book.