Michael Palin's touching tribute to Terry Jones

Michael Palin has paid a touching tribute to his Monty Python colleague Terry Jones following his diagnosis with a severe type of dementia.

Posting the above image on Facebook yesterday, the comedian turned traveller said: ‘Terry J has been my close friend and workmate for over fifty years. The progress of his dementia has been painful to watch and the news announced yesterday that he has a type of aphasia which is gradually depriving him of the ability to speak is about the cruellest thing that could befall someone to whom words, ideas, arguments, jokes and stories were once the stuff of life. 

‘Not that Terry is out of circulation. He spends time with his family and only two days ago I met up with him for one of our regular meals at his local pub

‘Terry doesn’t say very much but he smiles, laughs, recognises and responds, and I’m always pleased to see him. Long may that last.’

Meanwhile on Twitter, Eric Idle shared tributes from the likes of Robin Ince (‘a lovely man. What a bastard of an illness) and Patton Oswalt (‘This. SUCKS.’)

Idle said: ‘Thank you for all your kind responses about Terry J. Of course, this has been no secret to us for some years but he did manage to make O2!'

Last week it was revealed that  74-year-old Jones  is suffering from primary progressive aphasia, which affects his ability to communicate, and means is no longer able to give interviews.

Jones will receive a special award from Bafta Cymru tonight  for outstanding contribution to film and television

Published: 25 Sep 2016