“I’m a bit of a loner, really”

Indeed,” Michael Palin remarks. “References to a rather unusual topic.” Despite being known as Britain’s most polite man, he doesn’t shy away from discussing it – and he makes it clear he’s not particularly fond of the subject matter we’ll uncover. He’s talking about his latest book of diaries, titled “There and Back“, which spans the years 1999 to 2009. The book is candid, even delving into intimate details such as medical examinations related to prostate checks. “There are quite a few private moments in the diaries,” Palin says, sitting comfortably in his north London home’s bookshelf-filled living room.