According to the British Academy Of Film And Television Arts (via Variety), Monty Python member Terry Jones has been diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia, a rare form of dementia. As CNN explains, this syndrome is “often a result of strokes or head injuries and can occur in other neurological disorders, including brain tumors and Alzheimer’s disease.” BAFTA revealed Jones’ diagnosis while announcing that it would pay tribute to him during the 25th annual British Academy Cymru Awards—which specifically honor Welsh performers—on October 2.
Fellow Monty Python member Eric Idle tweeted his thanks to fans who had been offering “kind responses” regarding Jones, and has also been retweeting a lot of tributes to him over the last few days.
Michael Palin also posted a message on Facebook, saying that “the progress of [Jones’] dementia has been painful to watch” and that the fact that his aphasia “is gradually depriving him of the ability to speak” is “the cruelest thing that could befall someone to whom words, ideas, arguments, jokes, and stories were once the stuff of life.”