John Cleese has said that the new version of Fawlty Towers will start with the death of Basil's wife Sybil.

The Monty Python star is currently writing the sequel with his daughter Camilla Cleese. It will see Basil running a bijou hotel in the Caribbean with his secret daughter - the result of an affair with a guest.

The Sun reports Cleese has now revealed: "The new one starts with Sybil's death and Basil's daughter getting a text message from her father saying, 'Sybil did'.

"She texts back, 'Sybil did what?'. Basil is about to deliver the eulogy and says what an absolutely wonderful woman Sybil was.

"And then the camera pans around and you see that behind his back he has his fingers crossed."

The new series is being backed by American production company Castle Rock Entertainment, run by Rob Reiner. The broadcast channel has yet to be revealed, but it is expected to be a streaming network, rather than the BBC. The star has previously said he believes at the BBC one "wouldn't get the [necessary creative] freedom".

Talking further about the plot of the new series this week, Cleese says: "Sybil dies and Basil goes to see his daughter because it was all part of a naughty affair that he once had with a guest at the hotel.

"My daughter will probably be a hotelier who's running this small hotel.

"It's going to be a sort of slightly posh boutique hotel in the Caribbean with a multicultural staff because that's the world of hotels.

"And there'll be no one in except Basil."