Michael Palin, 70, has claimed that much of his pioneering comedy show Monty Python's Flying Circus was "crap". The comedian, writer and broadcaster conceded there had been some "gleaming moments" such as the Dead Parrot and Spanish Inquisition sketches but ultimately admitted that a lot of other material was "not really that good."

Michael PalinMichael Palin Has Called Much of Monty Python "Crap"

"People forgive you the things that don't work. A lot of Python was crap, it really was," he told The Daily Telegraph. "We put stuff in there that was not really that good, but fortunately there were a couple of gleaming things that everyone remembers while they've forgotten the dross."

Palin is about to embark on a solo tour in September and October called Travelling to Work about his near 50-year career in the industry. 

He said he would talk about his successes but also his "cock-ups", in case it looked "rather as if you are gloating".

"I'm very proud of the things I've done. There are a lot of things looking back which you would say were brilliant," he said, "but it's also about what's behind it and feeling of how you recover from things that didn't work so well."

Monty PythonMichael Palin [L] With The Monty Python Gang

Before his solo show, Palin will reunite with his Python co-stars for 10 shows at London's O2 Arena featuring old and new work. The first date sold out in just 40 seconds. 

On announcing extra dates to satisfy phenomenal demand, John Cleese said: "The response to our planned reunion has been very, very silly. But we're all touched that so many fans still want to see such old people perform. So we're delighted to be adding more dates to the run at the O2."

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