Michael Palin has said he and the other members of the Monty Python comedy troupe will rally around Terry Jones as he battles dementia.
Palin presented his former colleague with an honorary BAFTA award at the weekend to honour his contribution to film and television.
Jones recently confirmed has been diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and has revealed that he is no longer able to give interviews as the illness has affected his ability to communicate.
The 74-year-old wrote and directed some of the legendary comedy troupe's best know movies and sketches, including Life Of Brian and Monty Python's The Meaning Of Life.
Palin and Jones were both members of the Monty Python team along with John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam and Graham Chapman.
In an interview with the Radio Times Palin revealed that he had been aware that Jones's memory was failing for a number of years.
"This is progressive and the loss of the ability to speak is one of the things it brings. I grew up with a father who stammered and that was difficult enough for him. But for words just not to even be there, not to utter anything, it's a terribly sad thing to befall anyone", he said.
"I saw John (Cleese) yesterday and there's nothing much we can do but stand there and say, 'Oh God, what has happened to our friend?' But the Pythons will rally round."
