John Cleese Tweets His Rage Over John Whittingdale Escort Story 'Cover Up'

He think it's the biggest scandal in 50 years.
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The press is helping to cover up the biggest political scandal in 50 years.

Well, that's certainly what John Cleese seems to think.

The actor and funnyman has been worked into a frothing sea of indignation over the perceived failure of the press to cover Culture Secretary John Whittingdale's relationship with an escort.

John Cleese: 'odd wall of silence'
John Cleese: 'odd wall of silence'
Andrew Matthews/PA Archive

Four national newspapers had details of the story but decided not to cover it, saying it was not in the public interest.

Whittingdale, who is now in charge of press regulation, was not a minister at the time of the relationship, and was not aware the woman was a sex worker.

Cleese appears adamant this is clear sign of a cover-up

BBC still sitting on the biggest scandal for 50 years.Weak jobsworths.

Just read Professor Brian Cathcart's piece in The Press Gazette.

— John Cleese (@JohnCleese) April 12, 2016

Whittingdale told BBC's Newsnight: "Between August 2013 and February 2014, I had a relationship with someone who I first met through Match.com.

"She was a similar age and lived close to me. At no time did she give me any indication of her real occupation and I only discovered this when I was made aware that someone was trying to sell a story about me to tabloid newspapers. As soon as I discovered, I ended the relationship.

"This is an old story which was a bit embarrassing at the time. The events occurred long before I took up my present position and it has never had any influence on the decisions I have made as culture secretary."

John Wittingdale: Once dated an escort
John Wittingdale: Once dated an escort
Peter Byrne/PA Wire

In Cathcart's piece, the Hacked Off founder responds to the editor of Press Gazette who argued the story had been spiked on ethical and practical grounds.

He writes: "This idea is not credible for two main reasons. First, there were public interest grounds for publication, meaning not only that there was no legal barrier but also that, ethically, journalists would normally have felt an obligation to bring it to the attention of the public.

"And second, a refusal to publish a story about a government minister having had a relationship with a dominatrix is, as we all know, wholly out of character for several of our national papers (while the others would normally follow up such a story with relish)."

A wonderfully clear piece in Press Gazette by Professor Brian Cathcart about the odd wall of silence concerning the Press and Whittingdale

— John Cleese (@JohnCleese) April 12, 2016

Do take a look.You won't find any of this in the papers, as they are carrying out a massive censorship in the name of 'Editorial Discretion'

— John Cleese (@JohnCleese) April 12, 2016

"Not in the public interest" ! What a load of eyewash..

It wasn't in the Press's interest,so they censored the story as long as they could

— John Cleese (@JohnCleese) April 13, 2016

I wish the Press would tell us...

What was the last time they spiked a story like this.David Mellor ? Oh,no...

— John Cleese (@JohnCleese) April 13, 2016

Cleese is no fan of the press and is a vocal campaigner for press regulation and privacy issues, an irony lot lost on some.

@JohnCleese so a man who gets angry at the Daily Mail is now annoyed the media isn’t getting involved is someones else's private life…?

— Nick (@nicktabs) April 12, 2016

You haven't understood the enormous implications.Just read Professor Brian Cathcart at Press Gazette https://t.co/Pzpef8yZsr

— John Cleese (@JohnCleese) April 12, 2016

@1983Jackhancock @JohnCleese if so sounds as hypocritical as demanding you have privacy when it comes to your sex life but no one else does.

— Nick (@nicktabs) April 12, 2016

Nick,I've just read your other tweets
You haven't a clue
Start by trying to understand Cathcart and James Cusick https://t.co/RWQRZTVXN0

— John Cleese (@JohnCleese) April 12, 2016

But former tabloid editors are incensed at the BBC for covering the affair, claiming 'a single man dating single woman' is not a story.

Neil Wallis, who was the deputy editor of the News of the World and edited The People, brought claims of another potential conspiracy.

In an interview with the Today programme, he accused the BBC of "campaigning against" newspapers for invading privacy, but then hypocritically attacking them for failing to cover the details of Whittingdale’s sex life, in an "Alice Through The Looking Glass" scenario.

Wallis said the BBC was "getting its own back" on newspapers by reporting the unwillingness to publish the story, saying that there was no reason to cover it because “on the bottom line, what we have here is single man dated single woman before he was a minister.”

Public opinion appears to be divided over whether or not it is in fact a story.

BBC trying to spin the #Whittingdale story to be about his relationship. It's really about whether he was leaned on.

— Sandra Patterson (@SandPatterson) April 13, 2016

If I met someone on a dating site & took her abroad with me on government business, I would ask her what she did for a living #Whittingdale

— alan mills (@alanmills405) April 13, 2016

Press knickers in twist about inability to reveal consensual threesome but now noble in avoiding news of screws journalism? #Whittingdale

— Rachel (@racybearhold) April 13, 2016

After hearing @meaglemp on BBC this morning, I agree the real issue is why papers didn't publish #Whittingdale story before.

— Sandra Patterson (@SandPatterson) April 13, 2016

Forget #Whittingdale & his private life. PM appointed him knowing press could attack him (or not) over what he knew about his brother & PIE

— james doran (@doran_j) April 13, 2016

Robinson closed the Today interview by saying: "You’ve made that point many, many times and I’ve resisted being a spokesman for the BBC because I ask questions, I don’t take part in conspiracies, or indeed, speak for the BBC."

He added that the story had been covered by the BBC and others – after first appearing in Private Eye – because it was “interesting… as indeed, it has proved to be.”

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