Michael Palin is a jolly nice man. Not that you need anybody to tell you that – he is famously chirpy, polite and very funny indeed.

But to get an idea of just how pleasant he is, here’s a quick snippet from his website, on which he’s currently publicising his one-man tour: “I’m really sorry that the tour can’t be longer and take in more of the country.

The reason is not that I’m lazy, quite the opposite, it’s because I’m making plans for a busy autumn, including publication of my North Korea journal and hopefully some travels.”

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Bless him. Despite claiming he isn’t visiting that many places, throughout June and early July he’ll be on the road, calling in at places such as Bournemouth, Bradford, Bath and Basingstoke, as well as lots of places not beginning with the letter ‘B’.

The tour has been organised to coincide with the paperback release of Palin’s most recent book, Erebus, which has surprised its writer by enjoying considerable success.

Why he should be surprised is anybody’s guess – his tomes have always gone down a treat with fans, from his diaries and travelogues to his novels Hemingway’s Chair and The Truth.

Perhaps he thought the subject matter – about the life of HMS Erebus, a vessel constructed by the Royal Navy in 1826 which was abandoned in 1848 during the third Franklin expedition to the Canadian Arctic – would only appeal to a select audience, but he couldn’t have been more wrong. Actually, having his name attached to it probably encouraged people to buy the book and find out more.

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Fans will be pleased to hear that Palin – who is now 75 years of age and received a knighthood in this year’s New Year’s honours list – is also planning more travels.

Although he hasn’t done one of his epic journeys for the BBC recently – the broadcaster with whom his jaunts have become synonymous – he is still a man in demand. His North Korean adventure was the most-watched show of the year in its time slot for Channel 5, which proves his continuing appeal among viewers.

Where will Palin be going next? Well, onto Jonathan Ross’ sofa of course. But while there perhaps he will drop a hint or two about his next global adventure.

The former Monty Python member isn’t, of course, the only guest tonight. He’ll be sharing the green room with Pointless presenter Alexander Armstrong and Diversity leader Ashley Banjo, who are drumming up support for their next celebrity stripathon, The All New Monty.

Comedian and acclaimed actor Michael Sheen also drop by to discuss Good Omens, the eagerly awaited adaptation of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s apocalyptic fantasy novel in which they star; it’s due to pop up on the Amazon Prime streaming service from May 31st.

Last but by no means least, there will be music from Mark Ronson and his most recent collaborator, Lykke Li.

The Jonathan Ross Show

STV, 9.15pm, Saturday