John Cleese has signed up for a BBC sitcom… even though he said he'd never work for them again

Despite vowing never to return to the BBC, John Cleese is apparently returning in a new sitcom.

Almost 40 years after making his last BBC show, the 76-year-old Monty Python comic is in line to star in a new series called Edith, named after its main character.

The Mail on Sunday reports that "Edith is the principal character. John is one of the leading male roles, but it is very much a supporting role to Edith."

It's believed the show is in the early stages of development, and Edith is yet to be cast.

And according to the BBC's head of comedy, Cleese is "in discussions" to star in a sitcom for the broadcaster.

Earlier this year Shane Allen, BBC's comedy head honcho, told The Daily Telegraph: "We're in discussions about a piece that he might be in.

"It's a sitcom and it's very early days. He's a comedy god, and the door is always open to him.

"There are certain people who have earned their badges, who have got the right to do what they want."

It comes after Cleese slammed the Beeb's comedy department as an "awful lot of crap" in 2014 and claimed that executives had "no idea" what they are doing.

He also told ShortList last year: "There's no way I want to work in TV, especially at the BBC. I have a nasty feeling a large proportion of the commissioning editors have no idea what they're doing."

Guess it's all water under the bridge now, then.