John Cleese said money can “kill” creativity and criticised TV executives who think they know better than writers. Cleese, 81, is one of the most successful comedy stars in British entertainment history, lauded for his work on shows including Monty Python and Fawlty Towers. However, his success has not spared him from meddling executives. John Cleese has bemoaned the effect of money on creativity (Isabel Infantes/PA) Speaking during Advertising Week Europe 2021, he said: “Executives seem to have no idea about how to bring out the creativity. The first thing they want to do if you tell them an idea is they say, ‘Well, when can we see something?’. The correct answer to that is ‘Why do you want to see it anyway? What do you know?’