Fawlty Towers is widely considered to be the best sitcom ever made, with a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, But while its star, has tickled the funny-bones of several generations with his performance as irascible hotelier Basil Fawlty, his private life has been no laughing matter.

He bitterly points out that his ex-wife, Alyce Eichelberger, came out of their significantly wealthier than him, even though, when he met her in 1990, she was living in a third floor council flat in London with two sons from a previous marriage.

The star, who is 85-years-old, claimed in a new interview with Candis Magazine: "What I find so unfair is that if we both died today, her children would get much more than mine.

"On the other hand, think what I'd have had to pay her if she had contributed anything to the relationship like children. Or a conversation," he quipped.

John's ex had been represented by famed divorce specialist Fiona Shackleton, who had obtained favourable settlements in the past for the likes of His Majesty the King, and Sir Paul McCartney. The divorce was conducted under California law, which tends to favour the wife.

Julia Whittle, head of international at Punter Southall Financial Management, previously explained to Financial News: "Under Californian law Eichelberger is entitled to one half of Cleese's earnings during the marriage.

"She is also entitled to spousal support which is why the couple is arguing over their marital standard of living."

Julia says that his first two divorces had been "relatively simple, amicable and more importantly cheap."

In court, Eichelberger claimed Cleese was a "world-renowned celebrity" and, during their 16-year marriage, she had become accustomed to "being entertained by royalty and dignitaries in castles."

The final divorce settlement in 2008 left Eichelberger, with some £15 million in cash and assets, plus a further 600,000 a year for seven years.

Film director Michael Winner, a close friend of John's for many years, told The Telegraph: "It is an extraordinary world which means John is left with much less than his former wife even though he is the star who did all the work.

"The settlement defies human belief. John is extremely cross about it and I don't blame him. The settlement comes after two years of harrowing legal argument."

John has been through more than one divorce. He married Connie Booth, with whom he created Fawlty Towers, but they split part-way through the filming of its second - and final - series.

He went on to marry actress Barbara Trentham, and, although they divorced after nine years together, John says he remains on good terms with his first two wives.

The comedian has been happily married to jewellery designer Jennifer Wade, who is 31 years his junior, since 2012.

John blames his troubled love life on his childhood, saying that while he got on well with his dad, he had a difficult relationship with his mother.

He added to Candis: "I developed an ingrained habit of walking on eggshells when dealing with her. If you start life like that, you're likely to make bad choices with women when you're an adult."