Along came men with rifles, bullet-proof vests and helmets...

Sir Michael Palin discusses retirement, his latest travel show, and how armed guards ending up watching Monty Python.

- By YOLANTHE FAWEHINMI

EVEN though people often tell Sir Michael Palin that retirement is a good idea, the 82-year-old has no plans to stop working.

After he comes back from his travel adventures - most recently Venezuela for his new 5 documentary, Michael Palin in Venezuela - the actor and comedian first goes on a family holiday where he can relax and spend time with his grandchildren.

But then it’s back to work. The Monty Python legend still wants to continue seeing the world through the travel documentaries he makes - provided his new series goes well.

Michael's interactions with local people and different cultures have been captured over the past 36 years in his other travel series, including Around the World in 80 Days, Full Circle, Pole to Pole, Sahara, and Travels of a Lifetime.

And since the loss of his wife, Helen Gibbins, in May 2023, and a few of his close male friends, Michael has welcomed the distraction his work brings and enjoys being challenged.

In Michael Palin in Venezuela, viewers will follow him as he explores what life is like in one of South America’s most culturally rich, vibrant, but troubled nations.

Under authoritarian rule, financially in meltdown and facing massive social challenges, it is also one of the most beautiful places in the world. When Michael arrives, the country is still reeling from the controversial reelection of Nicolas Maduro as President, a man whose style is often more showbiz or self-styled superhero than presidential.

But things take a bad turn when Michael and his crew are detained for seven hours - without their passports - by armed officers from SEBIN, the country’s feared intelligence service.