Sir Michael Palin has spoken candidly about preparing for the end of his life, revealing how the death of his wife Helen two years ago made him confront his own mortality. Now 82, the Monty Python legend admitted that he has taken steps to ensure his family is prepared, including sharing his passwords and final wishes.
“I do think about death,” he said on the Marie Curie podcast. “My family is rather wonderful about it—asking if I’ve made a will, jokingly asking to be in it. But they know where to find what they need to find should I die.”
Palin was married to his childhood sweetheart, Helen Gibbins, for nearly 60 years before she died of chronic kidney disease. He admitted that imagining life without her once seemed impossible. “There was a time when I thought, ‘This is it. Every day will be a tearful one.’ But it does get better. I’m surrounded by Helen still. I’ve not gotten rid of anything that belonged to her.”
Despite his reflective tone, Sir Michael insists he focuses on life, not death. “However fit you are, anything might happen,” he said. “But I don’t dwell on mortality. I dwell on life.”
The beloved actor and travel presenter revealed that he feels fortunate to still be working and keeping active, though he now experiences signs of ageing. “I kid myself that I’m going to be alright,” he shared. “But some mornings, getting out of bed, you think, ‘What’s happening?’ The old car’s getting a bit rusty.”
Sir Michael also opened up about undergoing life-saving open heart surgery in 2019, calling it a sobering reminder of his body’s vulnerability. “That saved my life, really. As you get older, your body just becomes more fragile.”
He remains devoted to his three children—Thomas, 56, William, 54, and Rachel, 50—and has prepared them for the future. “They have all my passwords in case I get run over by a bus,” he joked.
While acknowledging the fragility of life, Palin continues to embrace each day. “I’m 82 now, which is longer than any Palin male has lived in 200 years. I’m still working. I’m still here.”
