Sir Michael Palin has announced the death of his “dearest wife” Helen Gibbins after 57 years of marriage.
In a statement posted on his official website, Sir Michael revealed that Helen had died in the early hours of Tuesday morning, having been diagnosed with kidney failure several years ago. She was 80 years old.
The former Monty Python star wrote: “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.”
He continued: “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.”
Sir Michael fictionalised his and Helen’s first encounter in a 1987 TV drama for the BBC, titled East Of Ipswich.
“Helen was the bedrock of my life,” Sir Michael added. “Her quietly wise judgment informed all my decisions and her humour and practical good sense was at the heart of our life together.”
Last year, Sir Michael – who originally rose to prominence as a member of the Monty Python comedy troupe, and is now known for his travel documentaries – said he and his family were living “with our fingers crossed” after Helen was moved to respite care.
Sir Michael underwent surgery in September 2019 to fix a “leaky” heart valve, cancelling a UK-wide book tour to allow for three months of recovery.
That same year, he was knighted for services to travel, culture and geography.
