The broadcaster and writer has urged gardeners to stop buying mass-produced disposable pot plants. He said it was time they stopped ‘sticking their head in the sand’ put make climate change first.

Monty Don told The Times that his mother once asked him to remove the bolt from his father’s gun because she feared he was suicidal.

MONTY DON: Early each morning I tiptoe downstairs, trying not to wake the rest of the household, but this stealth is invariably made irrelevant by a short bark from our golden retriever.

The actor and comedian directed some of the comedy troupe’s most-loved works, including Life Of Brian. Tributes have poured in for the comedian including from Stephen Fry and Sir Michael Palin.

Mr Innes, who is said to have provided the famous whistling on Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, also co-created the spoof Beatles group The Rutles and played in the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band.

John Wood, 59, met Gemma Harris, 35, on the Pythonesque Dating Facebook group – which he set up – and the pair were married in Sharpthorne, West Sussex.

The Radio Times Official Guide to Monty Python at 50 is released tomorrow half a century on from the comedy group’s first outing on the BBC with their Flying Circus sketch show.

England cricketer Monty Panesar was left stumped on Celebrity Mastermind last night, hilariously failing to answer questions correctly in the general knowledge round.

Fellow Python, Terry Gilliam, revealed the star’s dementia took a dramatic downturn. Terry Jones could barely recognise Mr Gilliam during a visit to Hampstead Heath.

Last year, Michael Palin handed over a number of boxes containing unused scripts to the British Library – including two sketches written for their hit film Monty Python and the Holy Grail.