Sir Michael Palin has recalled the terrifying moment he and his crew were held by armed guards in Venezuela while filming his latest Channel 5 travel series.
The 82-year-old Monty Python star said the incident escalated rapidly, with officers eventually allowing him to go free for an unexpected reason.
In an interview with The Telegraph, Palin explained that he was stopped by officers from SEBIN, Venezuela’s feared intelligence service, during filming.
“Things got quite heavy. It wasn't just the fact that they stopped us from filming, it was the force with which we were stopped. It started with a couple of policemen, then a couple of the National Guard, and then along came men with rifles, bulletproof vests and helmets,” Sir Michael shared.
“It was the kind of thing you'd expect to encounter if an embassy was being bombed; it was quite alarming.”
Palin revealed that his release came only after the guards Googled his name and discovered Monty Python sketches online.
“The outcome was rather bizarre, because while we were waiting to hear our fate from the headquarters in Caracas, the guards had found my name on Google,” he continued. “Eventually, they got onto Monty Python clips, and they watched the fish slapping dance, which is always a good thing to show people.”
“Nearly everyone in the world, from North Korea to Venezuela, cracks up when they see that. Once we'd shown them the fish slapping dance, I felt we were OK, and by the end of the day, they finally released us. But I did feel we could well be watched from thereon in, given the detention we endured at gunpoint.”
The comedian added that he and his team were searched thoroughly during their detention.
Their bags were rifled through, passports seized for several hours and even his underwear photographed before they were released.
Sir Michael, who has previously filmed in Iraq and North Korea, admitted that he believes he may still be monitored by Venezuelan authorities after the ordeal.
Despite the experience, he remains undeterred about continuing his travel documentaries.
“I’ve got no plans to retire at all,” Sir Michael, who lost his wife of almost 60 years, Helen Gibbins, in 2023, added.
Michael Palin in Venezuela airs on September 16 at 9pm on Channel 5.
