The 76-year-old British actor recalls accidentally setting his house ablaze following an open-heart surgery and narrowly escaping with the help of his elderly neighbor.
- May 4, 2020
AceShowbiz - Monty Python legend Michael Palin was pulled to safety by his 86-year-old neighbour after the star accidentally started a house fire.
The British actor, 76, was relaxing earlier this year, February 2020 following open-heart surgery in September to repair two valves when he unwittingly set his kitchen ablaze after a piece of paper caught fire on the gas stove.
Writing in Idler Magazine, the TV personality said he initially tried to smother the flames with a hand towel but this only made things worse.
He said, "As flames licked up towards the ceiling, I dialled the emergency services - but the moment we connected, the smoke alarm went off and I couldn't hear a word they were saying."
"Just caught something about washing my hands which made me realise that, without my glasses on, I'd rung 111 instead of 999," he added, explaining he'd called the number for non-emergency advice, as opposed to the standard hotline for emergency responders.
"But I washed my hands anyway, and by a fantastic stroke of luck, the loose tap that we never had fixed finally came apart, dousing the ceiling and partially extinguishing the fire."
Michael said his elderly neighbour then came to his aid and pulled him to safety through the window.
Before his alarming incident, Sir Michael was honoured with the Special Recognition Award at Britain's National Television Awards in January 2020.
