Born in Sheffield in May 1943, Palin achieved worldwide fame as a member of the legendary Monty Python team, before going on to carve out a successful solo career in film and television.

A star of several Python films, Palin appeared in the blockbuster movie A Fish Called Wanda, alongside his fellow Python colleague John Cleese.

Palin has enjoyed a wonderful career

After Wanda - which earned Palin a BAFTA award for Best Supporting Actor - he appeared in the BBC series, Around the World in 80 Days, in which Michael retraced Phileas Fogg's famous journey around the globe.

The subsequent book of the series became a bestseller in the UK and Australia.

More literary success followed when Palin’s book of another TV series, Pole to Pole, earned him the title of British Book Awards Travel Writer of the Year.

A regular on our television screens in the past decade, the former Birkdale Preparatory School pupil is one of the most recognisable faces in the country.