Eric Idle battled pancreatic cancer

msn.com:

Eric Idle has successfully battled pancreatic cancer. The Monty Python star feels "very fortunate" to have had the disease - which has the highest mortality rate of all major cancers - detected at an early stage and after undergoing surgery, he is now back to good health.

Eric admitted his secret battle with the disease motivated him to take part in 'The Masked Singer' and even though he was unmasked as The Hedgehog on Tuesday's (20.

09. 22) premiere episode, the programme "changed [his] life". He told 'Entertainment Tonight': "The whole thing was very Zen.

I really liked it. It changed my life to be honest. "I had pancreatic cancer, and I have been very fortunate and lucky to survive, it was caught early, I had a big operation at Cedars and they saved my life, and I hadn't told anybody. " After having his surgery, the 79-year-old comic "plucked up the courage to ask [his] doctor how long [he] had" and was stunned by the response.