Michael Palin shares rare health update and says death 'will come soon'

Michael Palin has candidly opened up about aging, revealing he has no "great worries about death" and accepts it will "happen sometime soon."

He began his career as a comedy writer before rising to fame as a star in Monty Python. Palin is also well-known for his travel documentaries that have taken him around the world. Now in his 80s, he’s faced significant personal challenges, including heart surgery in 2019 and the recent loss of his wife.

The TV star sadly lost his wife Helen Gibbins in May 2023. The couple, who lived in Gospel Oak, north-west London, had three children — Thomas, William, and Rachel — and four grandchildren.

In a poignant statement, Palin revealed Helen had endured chronic pain for several years, which was worsened a few years ago by a diagnosis of kidney failure.

Reflecting on their years together, the 81-year-old shares that his wife was a huge support throughout his career and even encouraged him to star in Around the World.

He told The Times: "I always enjoyed travelling, and Helen knew that," he says. “And thank goodness I was married to somebody who was happier at home with all her friends and her work. So there wasn’t a real clash of different ideas and egos."

In a heartfelt update, the star discussed how he’s managing after his wife’s death and his feelings about mortality. He went on to say that he’s getting by day to day but joked that cooking isn’t his strong suit.

Michael confessed: "I can’t cook very well. Just basics. Bacon, eggs and sausages, scrambled eggs and all that. But I don’t expect anyone else to look after me. I shared my life with someone for so long that I find it impossible to think of sharing it in the same way with anyone else again. So in a way, I’m sort of freer."

"I’m in my eighties and lots of people don’t make it there. So I don’t have any great worries about death. I mean, it’s going to happen sometime soon. I hear people say Euston station works are going to be finished in 2033 and think, 'Oh, I won’t be around then.’ But I’ve got so many interests - either books I’m researching or future travel series - which make me forget about mortality."

In a previous statement about Helen’s death, the actor penned: "My dearest wife Helen died peacefully in the early hours of Tuesday morning. She had been suffering with chronic pain for several years, which was compounded a few years ago by a diagnosis of kidney failure.

"We first met on a summer holiday on the Suffolk coast when we were both sixteen and we married in our early twenties. Two and a half weeks ago we celebrated our 57th wedding anniversary. Her death is an indescribable loss for myself, our three children and four grandchildren.

"Helen was the bedrock of my life. Her quietly wise judgment informed all my decisions, and her humour and practical good sense was at the heart of our life together."