Sir Michael Palin ‘quits’ travel shows after ‘eye-opening’ journey to Iraq: ‘I don’t know where I want to go now’-Meghna Amin-Entertainment – Metro

Michael Palin: Into Iraq will be a three-part series following the 2018 Bafta-nominated Michael Palin in North Korea (Picture: PA)

Sir Michael Palin is looking at quitting his global journeys after spending four decades as a travel presenter touring the world for TV series’.

The 79-year-old recently filmed a tour to Iraq for a new Channel 5 series, which came as a follow-up to his 2018 Bafta-nominated programme where he visited North Korea.

The three-part series, titled Michael Palin: Into Iraq, will see the Monty Python star embark on a 1,000 mile journey, following the course of the Tigris river from its source in eastern Turkey to the Persian Gulf.

But it is reportedly set to be one of his last in front of the camera.

He revealed: ‘I don’t know where I want to go now. People say where are you going to now? I say the chemist.

‘I feel enormously privileged and grateful that I’ve done as much ­travelling as I have in the last 35 years.

‘There have been good times, ­interesting times, exciting times, and adventure. But at a certain point you do have to be careful about what you do next.’

The Monty Python star embarks on a 1,000 mile journey across Iraq (Picture: PA)

Sir Michael continued to The Mirror: ‘I think one has to do the work, make the programmes, and then assess how they’re received, and the audience reception will either encourage me to get my boots on again or decide for me to hang them up for good.’

‘Channel 5 seem quite keen on taking me to places where I could get killed,’ he added to the publication, saying he can continue to do programmes like this in three-week stints, but ‘then we need to really stop.’

He added that he is not completely ruling out another travel programme, for one final time perhaps.

But it looks like it’ll be one of his last (Picture: WWF UK/YouTube)

Into Iraq will see Sir Michael giving viewers an insight into the country, nearly 20 years on from the war.

The majority of Sir Michael’s journey will be through Iraq, where he will visit Mosul and Erbil, before following the river to Tikrit, and then continuing his journey into the capital Baghdad, exploring the city and the Green Zone.

Speaking about this journey, Sir Michael has previously shared: ‘The journey was an eye-opener, a succession of new experiences, new places and new people to meet, a fascinating adventure in a land where past, present and future are unlike anywhere else I’ve ever been. It was a pleasure and a privilege to be back on the road.’

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The actor, who has guest-starred on The Simpsons, has previously presented a range of travel documentaries which have taken him across the globe, to remote locations including the North and South Poles, the Sahara Desert and the Himalayas.

On his way, he’s encountered numerous experiences, including falling violently ill after eating days old camel liver in Algeria.

The former comedian was awarded a knighthood for his services to travel, culture and geography over the years and was recently seen joining forces with legendary broadcaster David Attenborough to discuss the coronavirus pandemic.

Michael Palin: Into Iraq airs on Channel 5 on Tuesday at 9pm.

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