EXCLUSIVE: Michael Palin reveals plans for his next adventure closer to home and speaks about a trip to Philippines which kept him young at heart.
There is a moment in his new series when Michael Palin beams with joy after a first for him on screen – swimming in the sea with a million sardines.
“Amazing, wow. I feel terrific,” he says grinning. “They’re swimming together like a ballet really. A wall of fish in beautiful formation. It’s always good to do something new when you’re 82.”
By the time we speak he has turned 83, and retuned to the UK having finished filming three part Channel 5 series Michael Palin in the Philippines. And whilst he wishes he was younger, moments like the one on Panagsama beach on the southwestern coast of Cebu Island in the Philippines help him stay young at heart.
After I bring up the theme of mortality he says: “Of course I wish I’d be 20 years younger again, or 40 years younger would do. I wouldn’t want to go back to school days, those weren’t so pleasant. But you are what you are. You know, I think the fact I’m now 83. I was 82 when we filmed in the Philippines, and I found the resources, which you don’t think you should have at that age.
“It is a kind of feeling that you’re over 80. Be very careful how you walk, what you eat, what you take. Take plenty of pills for this, that, and the other. And I do take them, you know, blood thinners and all that kind of stuff.
“But when I actually did the Philippines show. There’s no special sort of conditions because of my age or something like that. I just did it like I used to travel, and it’s extraordinary how your body or your mind can help your body to carry on. And physically, I didn’t feel the strain of the Philippines journey until I came home, and it was a long flight, 16 and a half hours to get to Manila from London, and that’s what really wears you out. It’s the airports and the long flights.
“Time in the Philippines was rejuvenating. I felt great, you know. And I thought to myself, I’ll check on my passport that I really am 82.”
Getting into the water with flippers and a mask to gawp at sardines would have been undoubtedly easier as a younger man. But as is often the case on and off screen, Michael finds the humour in things.
“Swimming with sardines is something we would have written for Monty Python,” he says with a laugh. “They cut most of the embarrassing stuff of me trying to get into the sea backwards falling on my ass over some rocks, but I thought this is Python’s revenge.
“it was uncomfortable. It was difficult. But once I was in there, I suddenly realised why this is such a spectacular sight to see. I mean, millions of these fish all moving all together, absolutely harmoniously, beautiful flow. It’s mesmerisingly sort of soothing in a way.
“I was very well looked after by Gladys, who was my guide and Beyoncé, she was the underwater camera woman, so I kept hearing them saying, ‘Beyoncé, can you get Michael swimming? ‘No, we know he’s not very good’. But I’ve worked with Beyonce. I can say that, you can tell the world, that’s a scoop.”
Of course in a country like the Philippines, not everything is as fun as the fish, and Michael and his crew were keen to show all the different elements. The country is made up of 7,641 islands and much of it has extreme poverty and there is political unrest and violence.
Described as one of the most “fascinating, politically-charged and historically complicated areas on earth” there was lots for Michael to discover.
Another highlight – or lowlight – of the trip comes when Michael finds himself in the middle of a conflict between a Philippine and Chinese coastguard ship. The sea is currently a battleground but rather than swerve the chance to set sail, he revelled in the risk.
“Travel has to be a thrill. I don’t think travel to just be all written down on piece of paper like ‘this is what you’re going to see: three cathedrals, four mountains, a vineyard’, and then back home.
“I like going to a place where you’re not quite sure what you’re going to find, and also to go try and get behind the big stories. And the big story in the South China Sea. Is that there’s a big Chinese presence, and it’s an important trading route.
“The Filipinos want to make sure that their claim to this sea, quite legitimate, is is is is sort of supported by a military presence. They don’t have the presence of the Chinese, of course. The coastguard boat we went out from the tiny island to confront the Chinese was only only had about room for 10 people. The Chinese had a big coast guard boat and warships in the background there, and they were having no nonsense.
So, if people say ‘Well, we’ll look after you. It’s safe enough to go. We might be in trouble’. I tend to take the glass half full and say, ‘Let’s have a go’.
“And it was most exciting and a dramatic confrontation because we got this the voice from the Chinese ship saying, ‘This is Chinese sovereign territory. Leave the area immediately. Leave the area immediately’. So we did.
“I really felt that the David and Goliath feeling when we were on the boat is rather what I feel about the Philippines. They are a small player in a region of fairly big players.”
There is also a rare interview with the Philippines president Bongbong Marcos, who is amazingly in charge 40 years after his family were exiled. Bongbong rarely speaks to media and does not give too much away in the on screen chat but did give Michael a tour of his home.
It turns out the interview has largely been landed as he was a fan of Monty Python as a student, and he turns the tables with questions for Michael of his own.
“We had three questions, they all had to be vetted, so it was actually a total surprise when he walked out and says, ‘Hello, Michael Palin. I love your work’ and all that. It probably was a bit of a PR exercise, but he didn’t have anybody with him. He didn’t have minders. He was very relaxed, and he showed us around the palace. I don’t think he solves all problems of corruption and all that, but he seems to be a guy that they could trust.”
Elsewhere Michael also visits a prison, meets a member of the terrorist group and sleeps in remote beach camps in El Nido. He seems full of life and says he is inspired to keep going by another TV great, David Attenborough.
“You always think of David Attenborough who is 100 and has probably made 12 documentaries this year, so you just have to keep going!”
On a more serious note he adds: “He is the God figure in terms of television presentation. There has never been a time when he’s been out of fashion, or when he has said, ‘I’m going to give this up and do Strictly Come Dancing‘.
“Quite wisely he’s very consistent about where his interests are, which are in nature, and he always finds something new to talk about, with a new angle. That’s inspiring. I first saw his programmes in the 1950s and he’s still there – the perfect teacher trying to explain what’s going on, and he’s very good at making you feel like we’re all in it together.”
And whilst Michael has no plans to retire, it does sound like the next adventure will not be such a far flung location. I point out 2028 will be his 40 year anniversary since he began filming these kinds of trips with Around the World in 80 Days for the BBC, but he suggests his the next adventure could be on British soil.
“I’m up for it, but I think I’d quite like to do a different kind of travel show now. I don’t know, maybe something in this country. Because I like doing different things after a bit. We’ve done five of these shows in in difficult countries with problems, but potential. We’ve done those. They’ve been great.
“I think now perhaps I’ve got a few other things in the wind, and there’s always a bit of acting around.”
I try to fish for more information but Michael is too clever to tell me anything more. Wherever he travels for his next TV travel adventure, I’m sure plenty of viewers will be hooked on his every word.
* Michael Palin in the Philippines – starts Monday September 28 at 9pm, Watch|stream on 5.
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