Sir Michael Palin on Nigeria TV show: I was glad to go in the end, because since Helen died my life is very different

​He is back on screens in Channel 5’s Michael Palin In Nigeria, which sees him visit a country he has never been to before.

Given that the comedian, writer and presenter has been making TV travelogues for the best part of 40 years, it is a rarity to find a corner of the globe he has not explored, resulting in a trip crammed with firsts for Sir Michael.

The three-part documentary sees the Monty Python star embark on a 1,300-mile journey across Nigeria, known as The Giant of Africa, with estimates that within 50 years it will be the third most populated country in the world after India and China.

“I’m interested in countries that have great potential but for some reason and in some particular ways, don’t seem to be fulfilling it at the moment,” he explains.

“That happens in lots of countries including our own, but it’s of particular interest when you’re a traveller and you’re curious, and it gives a documentary an edge instead of looking around and just saying that everything is absolutely fine”.

He was also “interested in finding out what is really going on beneath the surface” and dives straight in during the first episode, where viewers will get to see him visit Makoko, often characterised as the biggest slum in Africa, as well as the coastal town of Badagry, which was once a slave port.

He also gets a glimpse at Lagos’ bustling nightlife, and meets Yeni Kuti, the daughter of late musician Fela Kuti – who is regarded as the father of Afrobeat.

The series follows the 2022 series Michael Palin: Into Iraq and the Bafta-nominated Michael Palin In North Korea.

In addition, he has also become known for his globetrotting BBC travel programmes, which have seen him visit locations including the Himalayas and North and South Poles.

This trip though, was welcomed by the TV veteran for many reasons, not least because it comes following the loss of his wife of 57 years, Helen Gibbins, last year.

Sir Michael met Helen while holidaying in the seaside town of Southwold, Suffolk, and later fictionalised the encounter in a 1987 TV drama for the BBC titled East Of Ipswich.

“I was actually very glad to go in the end, because since Helen died my life is very, very different,” Sir Michael says.

“It is a bit like living in a vacuum if you’re not careful. We had 57 years of married life together and there are all those things you share, just the two of you, the little moments. I feel I’ve got to keep on working and Helen would want me to do that”.

Michael Palin In Nigeria begins on April 16 at 9pm on Channel 5.