Sir Michael Palin and his film crew were detained by armed militia in Venezuela after attempting to film a statue of former leader Hugo Chavez

Palin told The Telegraph newspaper: "It got a bit farcical; they even went through our laundry."

He went on to reveal the group were eventually taken to a restaurant so they could have something to eat and the mood eventually lightened when one of the armed guards looked the funnyman up online and found one of his most famous comedy sketches.

Palin explained: "Eventually, they took us to a restaurant so we could eat something. And then one of the guards looked up on his phone who I was.

"He found the fish-slapping sketch from Monty Python. He thought it was hilarious. Suddenly, all the aggression faded. They wanted photographs, autographs, the lot."

The latest documentary - Michael Palin in Venezuela - follows Palin's other shows for UK broadcaster Channel 5 which have focused on regions such as North Korea, Iraq and Nigeria and he admits he has no plans to give up work now he's in his 80s or move to more sedate subject matters for his TV shows.

He told the publication: "The danger lies in thinking: 'Oh, I'll take it easy now, I've done a lot in my life.'

"Actually, I do take it slightly easier now, I give myself more time to read and go walking, but you still have to keep pushing yourself and do things.

"And if a place is a bit difficult to get around, then that's all the more important. I could never make a series about the greatest hotels of the world, or how to mix a nice gin and tonic."

Michael Palin in Venezuela is due to air on Channel 5 later this month and it will be accompanied by a book of the same name which is due for release on September 25.