Basil lives again: John Cleese in full flow as he lashes out

It was a rant worthy of Basil Fawlty at his most furious.

During a talk which was supposed to focus on raising money for conservation work, John Cleese launched a tirade against his estranged third wife.

The 68-year-old comedian asked the audience at Bristol Zoo: 'Guess how much I'm paying her at the moment?

'I'm paying her £900,000 a year. And we had no children. It really is astonishing.'

Cleese faces claims for half his earnings, half of his nine properties and £900,000 a year from 63-year-old American psychotherapist Alyce Faye Eichelberger.

His mother Muriel, who died in 2002, also came under fire during the extraordinary outburst.

Their strained relationship was well known - and he once credited Miss Eichelberger with helping him come to terms with it.

He told his audience: 'I did have a dreadful mother. Isn't that a terrible thing to say? But it's true. She was classically self-centred. Always thought entirely of herself.

'And she lived to 101 - I thought I'd never get rid of her.'

Cleese blamed his wife's lawyer for turning their separation into an embittered dispute over money, saying his wife is now 'taking me for everything she can get'.

He added: 'When I told my friends, they just put their head in their hands.

'I've suggested it would be much easier and more fair if we went to mediation. But I guess Alyce is just feeling very insecure and wants to get everything she can.'

Comparing the split with the break-up from his previous wives, Connie Booth and Barbara Trentham, he added: 'My two other divorces were very peaceful affairs. We went to mediation and it was very civilised. But this is quite different.

Cleese, his mother Muriel Cleese - then 96 - and Alyce

'I even spoke to Alyce and suggested that I chose her lawyer and she chose mine -  that way it would be fair, and neither of us would have one of these terribly aggressive ones. But she wasn't interested.'

His comments shocked audience members, who had been invited to hear the actor in conversation with former TV presenter Chris Serle.

One said: 'There was quite a good-humoured atmosphere while he was talking about other subjects, but then as soon as he started talking about his wife the place went silent.

'You could have heard a pin drop. No one knew what to think.'

The former Monty Python star - who split from Miss Eichelberger after 16 years of marriage in January - also spoke openly about his new relationship with 34-year-old marketing executive Veronica Smiley.

'The tabloid newspapers go on about her being half my age, but I'm not sure that matters,' he said.

'She's absolutely gorgeous, and incredibly intelligent.

Animated: Cleese looks more like Basil Fawlty as he vents his anger over his turbulent personal life

'To be the brand manager for a company like Nice 'n' Easy haircare at the age of 33 is quite something.'

Miss Smiley claimed she had no idea of Cleese's fame when they met at a business breakfast in New York.

She said: 'At the moment it is a very close, very warm friendship.'

Cleese arranged for Miss Smiley to join him and friend Michael Winner on a recent 'Divorceymoon' trip around Europe.

She flew from the U.S. to Zurich to meet them before continuing the journey with Cleese through Switzerland-and on to Italy's Great

Winner, 72, said of Miss Eichelberger, who works as a radio psychiatrist: 'Her voice alone could tear the testicles off a rabbit. She never stops talking.'

He added: 'John is a very generous man and the way Alyce is behaving is appalling. He's got a great sense of humour but there's no doubt this is hurting him.'