Prince Harry speaks about the late Queen and his career in rare UK interview

Prince Harry made an awkwardly timed comment about siblings and opened up on royal life upon his return to the UK as he was just eight-miles away from his brother Prince William. The brothers have reportedly got no plans to meet each other during Harry’s trip.

The Duke of Sussex made an appearance at an awards ceremony for the WellChild charity on Monday where he chatted to attendees. He asked one boy: “Have you got brothers and sisters?”

The boy replied: “Yes I have got a younger brother.” Harry quipped: “Does he drive you mad?” The boy said: “Well no, we get on quite well,” to which Harry laughed.






Prince Harry gave a rare sit down chat in the UK
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ITV)

Harry also sat down with an award winner, which was filmed by ITV. He refused to give media interviews but said in the chat: “I always used to laugh with my grandparents, funnily enough, about working with children.

“For me, that unpredictability brings so much fun and enjoyment. I have been slapped across the face, I’ve had my beard pulled. I have had my tie wrapped around my head.”

Speaking of his charity work with children, he added: “I have always said for many years that I still have a child inside of me. I think all of us do.

“I think being amongst these kids brings that out of me. I think that out of all the qualities that these kids have, without question, their resilience tops it all.”

Prince Harry has returned to the UK for a four day trip, having flown over from California solo, without his wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, or their two young children, Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four.

Harry, who is a Wellchild patron, attended the even on Monday evening, which celebrates the achievements and resilience of seriously ill youngsters and their families.

Over the course of just four days, the Duke will also partake in various charity-focused duties, including an informal meet with Children in Need.

It is understood the Prince has given a huge donation to the charity, which supports disadvantaged children across the UK. Upon his arrival, Harry prioritised visiting his grandmother’s grave in Windsor.

He was seen paying his respects privately inside St George’s Chapel, where he laid a wreath and some flowers. There has been hope Harry could visit his father, King Charles.

But, it is understood to be a different story entirely when it comes to Harry’s relationship with his brother Prince William, with the pair understood not to be on speaking terms.

They have nearly crossed paths already as Prince William and his wife Kate, the Princess of Wales, were just on the other side of Windsor Great Park when Harry laid his flowers.

They were meeting with WI members as part of a sweet tribute to the beloved grandmother and monarch.

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Prince Harry goes head-to-head with William as warring brothers issued ‘painful’ warning

As Prince Harry continues his rare visit to the UK, all eyes will be on his and Prince William’s diaries, as the warring brothers make separate appearances today

Prince William has allegedly rejected a reconciliation with Prince Harry(Image: In Pictures via Getty Images)

Princes William and Harry will go head-to-head in with engagements both in the UK today – a day after the feuding brothers honoured the late Queen separately, just 15 minutes apart.

The estranged pair were just seven miles from each other as they paid their respects to the nation’s longest-reigning monarch and their late grandmother on the third anniversary of her death yesterday.

But the warring brothers are not expected to meet while Harry continues out his first visit to the UK in five months today, with their long-running rift showing no sign of abating. Later, William is set to visit a youth organisation in Lambeth, south London, while Harry will revisit the Community Recording Studio (CRS) in Nottingham’s St Ann’s area.

READ MORE: Prince Harry set to make huge announcement on UK visit without Meghan MarkleREAD MORE: Prince Harry makes cryptic quip about ‘challenging siblings’ as he and William stay apart

Prince Harry at the WellChild Awards last night
Prince Harry at the WellChild Awards last night (Image: PA)

Yesterday, Harry flew in from the US, and began his solo trip with a poignant pilgrimage to his grandmother’s grave in St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.

The Duke, who was later at the WellChild Awards in London, laid a wreath and flowers privately at Elizabeth II’s tomb in the King George VI Memorial Chapel on Monday morning.

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Meanwhile, William and the Princess of Wales were a short car ride away in Sunningdale, Berkshire, as they visited the National Federation of Women’s Institutes (WI) in tribute to the late Queen’s decades-long association with the organisation.

And royal expert and historian Dr Tessa Dunlop likened the pair to ‘repelling magnets’. She told the Mirror: “‘I can’t believe its been three years already.’ Prince William exclaimed over the time passed since the death of his grandmother, the late Elizabeth II. Time flies.

“But much more time will be needed to heal the gigantic rift between the Prince of Wales and his younger brother. On the third anniversary of the late Queen’s death the two men were less than ten miles apart; William at a Women’s Institute meeting in Sunningdale, Harry laying a wreath on his grandmother’s grave in St George’s Chapel, Windsor.

William and Kate honour the late Queen during an outing earlier today
William and Kate honour the late Queen during an outing earlier yesterday(Image: AP)

“Like repelling magnets the two brothers did their best to look meaningfully busy while studiously avoiding each other. It does not need to be this hard. Or painful.”

Harry last visited the CRS to mark World Mental Health Day in October 2019, just two months before he and Meghan announced they were stepping down as senior working royals and moving to North America.

He is planning to hold a private briefing with Children in Need, the Police and Crime Commission, the CRS and community outreach group Epic Partners in Nottingham, stage informal catch-ups with some of the young people he met before, and watch performances from CRS artists and make a short speech.

The Duke is hoping to bring together key stakeholders, influencers and potential funders to shine a light on the work of grassroots organisations such as CRS and Epic Partners and the sports apprenticeship body Coach Core.

Harry during his last official visit to Nottingham almost six years ago
Harry during his last official visit to Nottingham almost six years ago(Image: Getty Images)

Meanwhile, William will visit Spiral Skills, which has received funding from the prince’s homelessness initiative Homewards to move into a new hub for young people at The Oasis Village, Tulse Hill.

The youth organisation was founded in 2015 and works with local schools, youth organisations and authorities to provide early intervention, support, employability skills and access to employment and services for 14 to 25-year-olds, Kensington Palace said.

The prince will visit the organisation at its new space and see how it offers support for those who need it, before attending a workshop with Young Creators UK, a creative agency run and owned by underrepresented young people which receives referrals from Spiral Skills.

William will be joined by Homewards advocate and former England midfielder Fara Williams to hear about how the organisation has helped people to gain confidence and learn new skills.

Harry play fights with swords made from balloons with nine-year-old Gwen Foster
Harry play fights with swords made from balloons with nine-year-old Gwen Foster(Image: PA)

Last night, the Duke of Sussex looked dapper as he arrived suited and booted at London’s Royal Lancaster Hotel for the WellChild awards, where he delivered a speech on what marked the annual ceremony’s 20th anniversary.

After posing for a photo opportunity with the Vice Chairman of WellChild, Harry, who has been a patron of the charity for 17 years, met with some of the young recipients. In one particularly adorable moment, Harry played with a young girl named Gwen, who showed off her fancy trainers to the royal before engaging in a balloon sword fight.

While chatting to Declan Bitmead, 17 – winner of the inspirational young person 15-18 years award, Harry asked him if he had any siblings, to which the teenager replied he had a younger brother.

“Does he drive you mad?” the Duke quizzed, to which Declan responde “no, we get on fine”. Smiling, Harry then quipped: “You know what – siblings”.

After learning that the teen, from Oxted in Surrey, attended the same school as his brother, the Duke tellingly remarked, “you’re at the same school, that sometimes makes it more challenging”.

Harry with 17-year-old Declan Bitmead at the WellChild Awards
Harry with 17-year-old Declan Bitmead at the WellChild Awards (Image: Getty Images)

While Harry is expected to potentially have a long overdue reunion with his father, King Charles, during his rare trip to UK shores, it is extremely unlikely that the Duke of Sussex will see his estranged brother, William.

Despite an olive branch being extended between the Sussex camp and the Firm earlier this year when senior aides to both Harry and Charles met in London, William is said to have firmly declined any potential reunion with his brother after years of public jabs between the two princes.

However, when it comes to Harry and Charles, sources have said there is a determination on both sides to make a meeting happen, with Wednesday being touted as a potential date.

Harry, who previously admitted he wanted reconciliation with his family, is said to be ready to ‘drop everything’ to attend a meeting. A source said: “As Harry has stated before, he’d love to see his family and be reconciled.”

However, both Buckingham Palace and spokespeople for Harry have refused to be drawn on when or whether a meeting will take place.

Harry with his father King Charles
Harry with his father King Charles(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Father and son last met face to face almost 20 months ago when the Duke made a transatlantic dash to see the monarch in February 2024 after hearing of his cancer diagnosis, but they spent just over 30 minutes together before the King left to recuperate in Sandringham.

And Tessa added: “There are many naysayers who see no reason for senior royalty to forgive Harry after his barrage of published criticism from across the Atlantic.

“But most who understand the increasingly thin ground upon which the royals skate, believe that the King has to reconcile with his youngest son – the optics demand it and Harry clearly wants it.

Charles has no public engagements this week, and travels from Balmoral to London for his cancer treatment, surely a communal cup of tea is not too much to ask?

“The British monarchy is the constitutional equivalent of a diplomatic panacea; nodding, visiting, reassuring, consoling across the domestic and international agenda, but what does any of it mean if the King cannot forgive his son?

And, standing in the monarch’s shadow, the future King cannot forgive his younger brother? Harold the spare, the small red-headed boy born into an unhappy marriage, in a relentlessly public-facing institution with a mother who died when he was 12.

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“Recently Harry has moved his own goal posts: the Duke longer demands an apology, he admits he misses the UK and is in England for several days on a series of charity missions. The Prince clearly wants to make it better. Here’s hoping someone in the Royal Family is able to join the dots.

What is ROMO? The introvert-approved slogan that’s taking over the Internet

Not all of us feel FOMO after skipping out – social media introverts have invented a new term to express their delight at missing out and their ‘patron saint’, Cillian Murphy, is leading the charge

‘ROMO’ is going viral (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

We’ve all heard of FOMO: the fear of missing out on a party or an event on the (very off chance) it turns into the greatest night of your life. Now it’s time to be introduced to its viral introvert-approved antidote: ROMO.

Instead of encapsulating the angst-fuelled frustration of lying in your bedroom wishing you were out instead, the acronym refers to the “relief of missing out”. It’s the feeling you get after you cancel your plans, slip into your pyjamas, switch on the TV and sigh in relief. It’s total contentment with the idea of doing nothing.

While the term has been floating about on TikTok for a little while, it’s just recently gained a boost of popularity after Cillian Murphy – aka “patron saint of the introverts” – used it in an interview with Variety Fair.

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Cillian Murphy
Cillian Murphy told Vanity Fair that he had ‘ROMO’ (Image: WWD via Getty Images)

When asked about not being part of Christopher Nolan’s new film ‘The Odyssey’, despite having previously worked with the director, the Irish actor joked that he had “ROMO” and added: “I can’t wait to see it.”

Of course, few people could be better suited as ambassadors for the phrase than the Oppenheimer star. Ironically, despite his efforts to stay out of the limelight, the Irish actor’s introversion has earned himself a niche virality on social media, as clips of his brooding demeanour and apparent disappointment with being interviewed have circulated widely online.

In a 2022 interview with The Guardian, Cillian expressed his discomfort with the attention that comes with fame, and has even earned himself the label “one of film’s most reclusive actors” by the Irish Times. It’s even been reported that the actor doesn’t have Internet in his home, as per The Mirror.

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On X, fans were quick to laugh at Cillian stumbling his way into another viral moment yet again. “Not the most offline person coining a new online term,” one user wrote. “For someone not being a part of the social media vernacular, he’s nailed this,” another joked.

Meanwhile, others have now added the word into their own lexicon. A commenter said: “Gonna start using ROMO for everything now”. Meanwhile, another declared it was their “new life motto”.

Although, while some have credited Cillian with “coining” the phrase, it appears to have been cropping up on TikTok, with some videos receiving millions of views and thousands of supportive comments. Some users have even offered alternatives, such as “JOMO” (Joy of Missing Out), the variant “GIMO” (Glad I Missed Out) and the even more emphatic “survivor’s glee”.

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‘I wrote songs for the rich and famous and this is what it’s really like’

RuthAnne has penned hits for Britney Spears, Niall Horan and John Legend, and shares her experiences writing some of pop music’s biggest bangers.

RuthAnne has been nominated for two Grammys, including her latest nod in the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album category for her work on Diana Ross’ I Still Believe

When we hear a chart-topping song on the radio, it’s easy to forget the countless hours, tiny studio rooms, and unseen collaborations that bring it to life.

For RuthAnne, one of Ireland’s most in-demand songwriters, that behind-the-scenes world has often meant sitting alongside some of the biggest names in music.

From co-writing JoJo’s Too Little Too Late at just 17, to penning hits for Britney Spears, One Direction, Martin Garrix & Bebe Rexha, Niall Horan, Diana Ross, and more, RuthAnne’s career has been a masterclass in creative versatility, persistence, and connection.

“I wrote Too Little Too Late at 17, but it took two years to come out, so I was 19,” she says. “And it taught me how massive a song can be globally. I hear that song still on the radio in so many different countries. But it definitely showed me that it takes a lot of work. It takes a lot of preparation.”

By the time she turned 16, RuthAnne had already written 600 songs in her bedroom, immersing herself in what she calls the “10,000 hours” of practice that would prepare her for the moment opportunity knocked.

RuthAnne
RuthAnne is one of the writers behind hits like JoJo’s Too Little Too Late, Britney Spears’ Work B**ch, and Niall Horan’s Slow Hands

She said: “I always talk about how preparation plus opportunity equals success. If I hadn’t done those hours at home, I don’t know if I would have been ready for that lucky break.”

Songwriting, for RuthAnne, was never about fame – it was about expression.

She said: “I was quite an emotional kid. Music was more my outlet. When I would sing to people, they would kind of react to me, smiling, tiny penitent things. And I was like, what is this? It was the first time I realised I could connect with people through song.”

That early insight laid the foundation for a career in which she would not only craft hits for others but eventually tell her own stories through music.

Despite her early success, RuthAnne admits she never really feels like she’s “made it” in the industry.

Britney in video for Baby One more time
She’s also written songs for Britney(Image: Vevo/Britney Spears)

She explained: “I think because I’m always trying to achieve things. When I’m in the room with John Legend, and he’s like, ‘What do you think of that?’ I’m like, oh, my ears don’t mention that quite enough. Those moments are definitely key to the moments of life.” And those moments are often intimate and human.

“They are honestly just normal people. They feel the same that we all feel – good days, bad days. It’s a work scenario, you’re just working with people,” she says.

Some of her celebrity encounters remain unforgettable.

She said: “John Legend had the piano right in the middle of the studio, it was hot that day. Just me and John, that was lovely.”

Diana Ross, too, left a lasting impression: “Meeting Diana was huge. She’s such an icon, but she was so down-to-earth. It reminded me why I do this.”

Diana Ross is one of her idols
Diana Ross is one of her idols(Image: Dennis Gocer)

And then there was Alicia Keys, who RuthAnne had admired for years. “Getting to meet her was a huge inspiration for me. It was one of the reasons I became an artist and why I wanted to learn the piano.”

Another highlight she recalled was “being with Niall, him jumping up and down the studio hearing what we’d written, or singing with him on stage”.

Of course, the creative process can be just as thrilling as the celebrity encounters. RuthAnne recalls the complex collaboration behind Britney Spears’ Work B**ch.

Ruth said: “There are times where it’s you and the artist, sometimes you’re writing to pitch to an artist, and other times, pieces of the song are written all over the world and put together. I call that the Frankenstein moment.

“I wrote to Anthony [Preston], he wrote a song called Fingers to the Sky, and it took over a piece of the song. Then I got a call saying, ‘Hey, you know that song you worked on? I’ve put it up with will.i.am and something is coming out of it.’ Finding pieces for pop and dance history is the biggest thing.”

Naill Horan
Niall is another Ruth has worked with(Image: Press/PA)

Her versatility has enabled her to traverse genres seamlessly. Ruth said: “I have a really eclectic musical legacy… I was always obsessed with every genre and just great songs. I always try to write the best song I can. The skills I’ve learned over the years let me work in any genre, in any category, to make songs sound beautiful.”

She’s tackled EDM with Avicii, pop with One Direction, and powerhouse ballads with Westlife, yet she remains ambitious, explaining she would love to see her songs in many different genres become hits.

Some songs carry an intensely personal weight, even when performed by others.

Ruth explained: “[Like with] Too Little Too Late. So many people say, ‘I broke up with my boyfriend and that song helped me through,’ and it’s still so loved by the world. And The Vow—I constantly get videos of people covering it at weddings…”

“I wrote a song about my journey with endometriosis, which is a chronic illness a lot of women have. Seeing people online singing it, or it soundtracking their moments, made me realise how important it is to release those songs. In your vulnerability, you could be helping someone or making someone feel seen and heard.”

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She’s also keen to dispel a common misconception about her craft.

Ruth said: “People think pop songs are the easiest songs to write. They are really not – they’re the hardest songs to write. It’s important to value the skill of a songwriter. There are lots of ways songs come together, and every artist works differently. Some write everything themselves, some work in a team. It’s all about collaboration and skill.”

Finally, when asked to pick between her hits, she hesitated between her first success and a newer song: “I’m really proud of Too Little Too Late because it was my first hit and it still resonates.

“And I’m proud of The Vow, because it’s connected to people’s lives in such a meaningful way. At the end of the day, music has always been my therapy. If my songs can make someone else feel seen, or bring them joy on the dancefloor, then I know I’m doing what I was meant to do.”

Far from slowing down, RuthAnne is continuing to expand her horizons. Alongside her own releases, she’s been part of TikTok’s #SummerSkills programme, teaching teens the art of songwriting. She recently hosted a TikTok LIVE songwriting session with rising pop star KiD RAiN, creating a brand-new song from scratch in front of a global audience.

“It’s been amazing. I want to help those creators be able to know how to create songs that will make the whole world sing”, she gushed.

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Rylan Clark spends huge sum shipping fake tan to India after trip disaster

Rylan Clark has admitted he spent hundreds shipping fake tan to India after a travel disaster meant he was without it for his trip, something he wasn’t willing to sacrifice.

Rylan Clark has admitted he spent hundreds shipping fake tan to India after a travel disaster(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images)

After winning a TV Bafta earlier this year for Rob And Rylan’s Grand Tour , it seemed like a no-brainer for pals Robert Rinder and Rylan Clark to head to India to take on a second series of travel adventures.

However, while Rob was thrilled to be following in the footsteps of his literary hero, A Passage To India author EM Forster, Rylan admits that he was concerned about the possible pitfalls of a journey outside his comfort zone – and he was right to be.

The friends kick off their journey in Delhi, India’s capital and home to 34 million people, almost four times the population of London. “I was worried about everything,” he says. “Everyone said, ‘You’re going to get ill, you’re going to get Delhi belly, it’s going to be hot.’ And I thought, ‘This is my worst nightmare.’ And lo and behold, I get off the plane, it must have been about midnight, and I walk into Delhi airport and get bit in the face by some mosquito thing and I’ve got a golf ball on the side of my cheek.

Rob and Rylan Passage to India
Rylan sets off to India with pal Rob Rinder for their next TV venture, Passage to India(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Rex TV, Zinc Media/Jakob Borges)

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“I thought, ‘Here we go.’ Not a great start. I then have about four hours’ sleep, and am chucked into a tuk tuk in the middle of what I can only describe as a Wacky Races replay. I really dived into India head first.”

An insect bite and a frenetic journey in the Delhi traffic weren’t the only traumas Rylan had to contend with. When he and Rob arrived in Jaipur to meet the royal family, Rylan discovered that his bottle of fake tan had exploded in his luggage. “I was going to fly home,” he jokes. “There is no fake tan in India, you can’t find it anywhere. It was a nightmare. I ended up having to do some FedEx type thing from London, and it cost me 400 quid, just to get a bottle of St Tropez Bronzing Mousse.”

Rob admits that such dilemmas meant he occasionally lost patience with his image-conscious travelling companion while they were filming. “I say in the show that I feel like I’m the benevolent headmistress of a school for excluded children, and that went on for quite some time. You do run out of patience,” he says.

“We’ve both got annoying habits,” adds Rylan. “There are things I do that wind Rob up and there are things he’ll do that wind everyone up! But that’s why we’re best mates. We went into the Grand Tour as acquaintances and left as friends. And we’ve gone into Passage To India as friends and left as best friends. I know you were hoping I would say ‘boyfriends’ then, weren’t you?”

Rylan and Rob Rinder in india
The former X Factor star admits that he wasn’t convinced on the holiday destination as he followed seasoned traveller Rob’s lead(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Rex TV, Zinc Media/Jakob Borges)

While fans of the first series did hope Rylan, 36, and Rob, 47, had become more than just friends, the pair make it clear during their Indian travels that their relationship is strictly platonic, but that doesn’t mean the two don’t tease each other with great affection, especially during a detour Rylan that wanted to make to see an astrologer.

“Usually when something is funny in real life, it can’t possibly be as funny when you watch it back, but that really was the funniest moment for me,” Rob says. “For me, astrology is absurd, woo woo, a bucket load of horse s**t, and I was really worried because I wanted to explore those ideas about going to India for enlightenment, but he wanted to go to an astrologer.”

After Rylan phones his beloved mum Linda to get his time and place of birth for the reading, it all descends into chaos when astrologer Professor Vinod Shastri tells Rylan he should expect to have teeth, lung and leg problems in the future, reveals that in Rylan’s past life he had many relationships and also tells the TV presenter that he has a “slightly psychotic problem”, much to Rob’s amusement.

“I was so excited. And the s**t he came out with,” Rylan says, laughing. “And to make matters worse, when I got back, my mum told me she got my time of birth wrong, she had mixed it up with my brother’s. So it was all b******s anyway!”

Rob wasn’t spared from having his own embarrassing moments in India, most notably when he ended up rapping in a marketplace in central Delhi after meeting a rapper called Naveen Koomar. It was an experience he describes as “horrific”.

“I like grime artists and I got so excited, but I was like David Brent on steroids,” he says. “There are no protrusive parts of my body left to cringe with when I watch it back. But I am glad I took part.”

Rob Rinder and Rylan Clark win BAFT
The duo previously won a BAFTA for Rob And Rylan’s Grand Tour(Image: Getty Images for BAFTA)
Rylan Clark at Smurfs Premiere
Rylan says the most recent trip has changed his perspective on India(Image: Getty Images)

There are also some emotional moments during the trip, especially when Rob and Rylan see the religious traditions associated with death along the River Ganges that lead them to talk about their own mortality.

“I can’t emphasise enough that either of us would never have taken part in anything that, even in the thinnest way, felt like constructed reality. It really mattered to us that we could have safe and deep conversations,” Rob explains. “It’s part of Rylan’s power. He creates a space where I just forget they [the camera crew] are there, so we can share those challenging conversations. It’s sometimes difficult, but it is a real privilege to make.”

The pair are hoping that Passage To India is as well-received as the acclaimed Grand Tour , and that it could lead to a third trip together. However, while the first two series were inspired by Rob’s literary heroes, it’s unlikely that a third would focus on a literary choice of Rylan’s.

“I’ve only ever written and read my own book!” Rylan says. “Where would we go? Maybe Marbella – someone must have written a novel about Marbella. Then we could spend a few nights outside the Sinatra bar, days sitting round the pool…”

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Rob and Rylan admit they never quite saw their careers leading them here. “If I think back 20 years ago, I was going out in G-A-Y underage and wearing the Ted Baker sale, so I definitely didn’t see myself doing what I do now. I thought I’d probably be doing time!” laughs Rylan.

Similarly, Rob never foresaw his career in showbiz. He adds, “20 years ago I was defending murder trials – I didn’t see this in my future. But it comes back to that full life cycle and that you never know what’s around the corner.”

Michael Palin terrified as he’s held at gunpoint by armed cops

Michael Palin was filming his new Channel 5 travelogue in Venezuela when he was detained by armed guards and held for hours before being let go for a hilarious reason

Michael Palin In Venezuela airs on Tuesday, 16th September at 9pm on 5

When he was held at gunpoint by armed guards in Venezuela, Michael Palin used an unlikely trump card to get out of jail – an old Monty Python clip. The comedy legend, 82, was filming a new three-part Channel 5 travelogue in the totalitarian country when he was stopped by gun-toting officers from SEBIN, the country’s sinister intelligence service. But once he’d shown them a video of his famous fish slapping skit, they decided to release him.

Michael recalled: “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.

“It was the kind of thing you’d expect to encounter if an embassy was being bombed, it was quite alarming.”

Michael Palin slaps John Cleese with a fish in their iconic Monty Python sketch
Michael Palin and John Cleese in Monty Python’s fish slapping dance

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In the end, Michael and his team were released and he credits his Monty Python Fish Slapping Dance with securing his freedom. He said: “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.

“Eventually they got on to 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.”

As well as being held at gunpoint, Michael and his team had their bags searched and the contents photographed before their passports were taken and they were detained for several hours.

Michael Palin stands behind a waterfall in Venezuela
Michael Palin stands behind a waterfall in Venezuela

Michael – who copes with stress abroad by eating British crackers – added: “I understood why they were taking pictures of the equipment, but who wants a photo of my old underpants. But they faithfully did this and it took hours. We were very tired and we hadn’t had anything to eat, so by mid-afternoon they agreed that they would let us go to a restaurant, provided the guards were there with their rifles.”

Guns weren’t his only trial – he also found himself eating worms and ants bottoms on the trip. He said: “We were near the Angel Falls with a family and the meal they gave us consisted of worms that live in palm trees, which they grill.

“They also gave us ants’ bottoms, which I think is quite wonderful – I didn’t really know ants had bottoms, but of course they do! These are quite big ants after all. So I ate ants’ bottoms for the first and probably last time in my life, I don’t think you can get them at Sainsbury’s.”

Michael relaxes in a deck chair with a drink
Michael isn’t ready to retire despite being 82

The worms might not sound great, but Michael enjoyed them. He added: “Overall, I’m very positive in my attitude towards trying foods and there are very few things that have a really nasty taste. They may look odd – like when I ate spiders in Mexico – but you’ve just got to get over that initial disgust at eating something that would be swept into the bin at home, and you’ll often find it’s quite nice.”

Despite the rigours of his trip, Michael, who has also filmed in Iraq and North Korea, has no plans to stop his dangerous missions – or to retire. He said: “I’ve got no plans to retire at all.”

Michael Palin In Venezuela airs on Tuesday, 16th September at 9pm on 5

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