John Cleese, 86, calls for BBC 'CLEAR OUT' as he unleashes furious attack on corporation over 'political propaganda': 'We need a fresh BBC!'

Back in September, the 86-year-old branded the BBC "clueless" over its latest slate of new comedy shows, and as recently as this month, he accused the corporation of "bias" thanks to its reporting of the protests in Iran.

Now, he's returned to social media to take aim at the BBC over its coverage of Iran once more, as well as its reporting on the ongoing war in Ukraine.

In one of his latest outbursts, Mr Cleese slammed the way in which a Russian drone strike on a train holding Ukrainian citizens was reported.

According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, at least five people were killed in a strike on a train in northeastern Ukraine this week. He described the attack as an “act of terrorism.”

Soon after, one X user penned on the site: "If Ukraine hit a train full of Russian civilians, it would be all over world news this morning.

"But when Russia hits a train full of Ukrainian civilians, it's just another Wednesday. We have a sick world because our media is sick."

This opinion caught the attention of Mr Cleese, who reposted the post along with his own take on the situation.

"True, but the BBC has a very good item on migraines, and another on a gay romcom TV show," he sarcastically mocked.

He later turned his attention to the reaction that media coverage of the Iranian protests has garnered, responding to one X user who specifically targeted the BBC.

The X user in question asked: "How can the BBC ignore the situation in Iran, or perhaps I should ask why they ignore it #FreeIran?"

The user's query was in response to another post that branded the omission of the Iranian protests from Monday's BBC News at Six as "an absolute disgrace".

Mr Cleese appeared in agreement. "I think we need a BBC, but a fresh one with most of the senior executives cleared out," his take began.

"And a clear statement that the BBC's primary duty is to inform and entertain the British public, not to engage in subversive social engineering and political propaganda."

GB News has contacted the BBC for comment on Mr Cleese's social media posts.

The BBC has published a series of articles across its website since the protests began, with BBC Verify examining footage from the country and commentators regularly providing updates from the region.

Veteran reporter John Simpson previously defended the corporation's reporting. He wrote on X it was "very difficult for news organisations to get correspondents in" to Iran.

He added: "The BBC is banned, and so are most others. It’s a bit like Gaza... Social media videos have to be carefully checked before reputable news organisations can use them."

Nevertheless, within moments of publishing his social media tirade, Mr Cleese found himself inundated with fellow X users who agreed with his idea of an overhaul at the corporation.

One follower replied: "God bless you for this remark. The BBC is what's happened to nearly all of our media in the US. Entertainment ended with Monty Python. I dearly miss it!"

"The rot is too deep, John, and it isn't just the BBC," a second claimed, while a third weighed in: "In other words... how the BBC and Journalism use to be!"

Meanwhile, a fourth penned: "I do not believe that we need a state broadcaster financed from a compulsory licence fee. The BBC was ideologically captured decades ago."

"Defund it and if they don't do their jobs, they will go broke," a fifth similarly echoed.

However, some argued against Mr Cleese's stance. "Texan here. I have so much love for the BBC. I hope they get through these days and find their mission again," one fan argued. (sic)