John Cleese blasts MP defending cousin marriage as cultures like to 'keep it in family'

John Cleese blasts MP defending cousin marriage as cultures like to 'keep it in family'The actor and comedian took to social media to respond to a video showing an MP defending the practice. Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Bookmark Add us as preferred source Comments By Toby Codd 16:29, Wed, May 27, 2026 Updated: 16:37, Wed, May 27, 2026 John Cleese has blasted the MP (Image: Getty)John Cleese has blasted an MP who recently defended first-cousin marriage in Parliament. The 86-year-old British actor and comedian responded to a post on X showing Iqbal Hussain Mohamed, Independent MP for Dewsbury and Batley, explaining why first-cousin marriage should not be made illegal in the UK. window.scriptsToLoad.push({url:'https://live.primis.tech/live/liveView.php?s=118222&vp_content=plembed3a6btjknzwqh&cbuster=%%CACHEBUSTER%%&playerApiId=v118222',triggeredBy:'tcfLoaded',delay:1500,containerId:'ovp-primis',title:"Primis player",beforeLoad:()=>{window.top.addEventListener('primisPlayerInit',e=>{try{if(e.detail&&e.detail.playerApiId==="v118222"){if(window.document.getElementsByClassName('jwplayer')[0]){e.detail.float('disable')}}}catch(e){}})},}) Although he acknowledged the health risks associated with first-cousin marriage, the politician said the practice is common because people "see family intermarriage overall as something very positive, something that helps build family bonds and helps put families on a more secure financial foothold". However, Mr Cleese slammed his justification, writing on X: "It's against the culture in this country". Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Get celebrity news and gossip plus selected offers and competitions Subscribe Invalid emailWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy PolicyFirst-cou...