Channel Seven’s highly anticipated Roast of John Cleese special faced a tough battle in the ratings on Tuesday night, pitted against Nine’s popular reality show, Married At First Sight.
TV Blackbox reports that a staggering 1,489,000 viewers tuned in to MAFS, dwarfing the audience of 458,000 for the John Cleese special.
Despite Seven’s extensive promotion and the inclusion of notable Aussie personalities like Tom Gleeson, Joel Creasey, and Rhonda Burchmore taking jabs at Cleese, the special failed to capture the audience’s attention.
Critics and viewers didn’t hold back their disappointment with the John Cleese comedy event. One disgruntled fan remarked, “Australian comedy fell flat with the John Cleese roast.” Another viewer suggested that to effectively roast Cleese, it’s crucial to direct the jokes at the honoree. “I expected more when roasting John Cleese on national TV,” they lamented.
Some viewers expressed regret over watching the special, with one commenting, “I can’t believe I wasted my time streaming this,” while another remarked, “I had my doubts about this from the start.”
Filmed last year at Melbourne’s Crown Casino with host Shane Jacobson, the special failed to live up to expectations, leaving many underwhelmed.
Meanwhile, over on Nine, tensions ran high in a heated episode of MAFS, as groom Richard struggled to accept criticism from his wife, Andrea, and learn from past mistakes in their relationship.
