Page "Graham Chapman" Paragraph 11

Chapman died on 4 October 1989 after suffering from tonsil cancer, which he had been diagnosed with in November 1988, and secondary spinal cancer.

Chapman had several chemotherapy treatments and tumour removal surgeries within the final months of his life, and at one point he used a wheelchair.

By September 1989 his cancer was declared terminal.

He produced scenes for the 20th anniversary of the first broadcast of Flying Circus that month, the last time he would appear on television, but he became ill again on 1 October.

Those present at the time of Chapman's death in a Maidstone hospital included his brother, sister-in-law, partner David Sherlock, and his former Python fellows John Cleese and Michael Palin, who had to be led out of the room to deal with their grief.

Terry Jones and Peter Cook had visited earlier that day.

Chapman's death occurred on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the first broadcast of Flying Circus, and Jones called it " the worst case of party-pooping in all history ".