Terry Jones is struggling to pay his mortgage, despite receiving £800,000 for the Monty Python live shows.
The 72-year-old performer has a £700,000 interest-only mortgage on his £2.5 million house, but is finding it difficult pay off after he was forced to share half of his enormous salary with his ex-wife Alison Telfer, meaning he was left with around £200,000 after tax from the gigs.
Despite separating from Alison in 2009, Terry still had to pay her half of his earnings because Monty Python dates from 1969 so it counts as part of his work before their split.
He said: "We each got £800,000 for the shows but when I got divorced I agreed with my ex-wife that everything that I’d done up to then, up to the separation, we would split 50-50.
"So my share got halved to £400,000 and paying tax on it it’s more like £200,000."
The actor and writer – who is currently married to Anna Soderstrom, 31 – admitted he may have to move from his home in Hampstead, north London, because of his mortgage struggles.
When asked if he might leave his London abode, he told The Times newspaper: "I’m not sure. Maybe I can pay it off, maybe not."
Terry reformed Monty Python last year with co-stars John Cleese, Michael Palin, Eric Idle and Terry Gilliam and the comedy troupe played to sell out crowds at the 16,000-seater O2 Arena in July, and Terry admits the reunion felt like a "warm bath".
He said: "Ooh, well I was very excited! Apart from the fact that I couldn’t remember my lines in the ‘Four Yorkshiremen and the Crunchy Frog’ sketches. Apart from that, the audience were so warm and welcoming, you just go out on the stage there and it was like taking a warm bath really."
Terry Jones struggling to pay mortgage
