Michael Palin addressed death in a poignant interview (Image: Getty)
Monty Python star Michael Palin made a heartbreaking end of life confession following the death of his beloved wife two years ago, just days after their 57th wedding anniversary.
Helen had been ill for several years, as Palin told Mail Online that he became her carer for a few years, as he ensured she took a walk every day “even when she didn’t want to”, and also tried to cook for her.
As he discussed what it was like towards the end of her life, he revealed she had been in a lot of pain, adding: “I don’t know where she found the bravery for that.”
When asked if that made him want a quick death for himself, he said: “In some ways,” adding “but at the same time she had time to see the grandchildren grow up, which she treasured.”
Michael Palin lost his wife Helen two years (Image: Getty)
He decided to start filming again after her death because “she would have wanted him to”. Her death has made Palin consider his own mortality as he discussed being 82 and filming a TV show in Venezuela, making him determined to keep moving.
He said: “I don’t normally like to go on about age, but when you’re at a stage in life where people give up their seats on the Underground for you, then you do have to be a bit careful about what you put your body through…
“There’s a feeling you’re reduced to some incapability over a certain age, that you must basically just sit in your chair, that you can’t have boiling water in your coffee because it might scald you. You can forget all that when you go travelling. And that’s what I do.”
Meanwhile, Palin revealed he was held at gunpoint while filming for his Channel 5 show in South America after being detained by armed guards in the country’s intelligence service, SEBIN.
However, after a tense showdown, the guards let him go after he showed them the classic Monty Python fish-slapping scene.
He said: “Once we’d shown them the fish-slapping dance, I felt we were OK, and by the end of the day they finally released us.”
