Tickets for Monty Python’s five comeback shows have all sold out in a day.

The first show  – on July 1 – sold out almost instantly and was soon followed by four extra shows at London’s O2 which sold out within an hour.

Fans snapped up the tickets – thought to be for around 72,000 seats – in the space of just 55 minutes after phone lines opened at 10am.

Python star Eric Idle said: “It’s totally amazing. I don’t think we realised quite how much Python is loved round the world. We look forward to paying off Terry Jones’ mortgage soon.”

The veteran comedy troupe – John Cleese, Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam, Idle and Jones - announced they were getting back together last week.

The concerts at the venue in Greenwich, southeast London, come more than 30 years after their last stage performance.

Speaking at last week’s press conference, they said they would include some of their most famous routines, including the dead parrot sketch.

But Cleese ruled out a re-run of one of his best loved moments, the Ministry of Silly Walks, saying: “I have an artificial knee and an artificial hip so there’s no chance of that”.

Idle said fans could “expect a little comedy, a lot of pathos, some music and a tiny bit of ancient sex”.

Their last major live show was at the Hollywood Bowl in 1982.

They said they would miss performing with Chapman but he would have a presence on-screen during the show.

Idle said: “We’ve told him we’re going on and if there is a God, he’ll be turning up.”

The event will be filmed and “we will try and flog it later”, he added.