The 68-year-old actor revealed he was poised to become speech writer to Barack Obama if Obama was nominated as the Democratic candidate.

Best known for playing the irascible Basil Fawlty in Fawlty Towers, the comic showed a more serious side when he said he thought Obama, who is bidding to be America's first black president, was a "brilliant man".

Sports reporter Nathan Jones rang to talk football but discovered a political story that quickly hit the international headlines.

John said: "I am due to come to Europe in November but I may be tied up until then because if Barack Obama gets the nomination I'm going to offer my services to him as a speech writer because I think he is a brilliant man."

The interview was to discuss Bristol City's push for promotion to the Premier League, as John is a City fan and follows their exploits from his home in America.

The story was picked up by news feeds and blogs - including the Huffington Post - which reported how John "told the Western Daily Press regional paper that his jokes could help the Illinois senator get into the White House".

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