Dick Van Dyke breaks silence after cancelling public appearances

Dick Van Dyke has broken his silence after cancelling two public appearances.

The 98-year-old left fans concerned for his health and wellbeing after he failed to attend the Primetime Emmy Awards on 15 September and cancelled an upcoming appearance at a convention in Utah.

However, in a video obtained by the New York Post on Monday, the Mary Poppins star appeared in good spirits and spoke with his typical sense of humour.

After he left a pharmacy in Malibu, California, the videographer asked how he was feeling and he cheekily replied, "I feel old."

When asked if he had any big plans for his 99th birthday in December, the actor joked, "Just praying that I make it," as he got into the passenger seat of a car.

The veteran star sparked concern earlier this month when he was absent from the Emmys despite being announced as a presenter. Fans became even more worried over the weekend when organisers of the FanX Salt Lake Comic Convention revealed Van Dyke had dropped out of the event, which runs between Thursday and Saturday.

"We are sorry to announce that Dick Van Dyke is not able to travel to FanX. He expresses his gratitude to all of those who support him but, at almost 99 years of age, traveling and interacting with thousands of people is more than he is able to do at this time," they said in a statement.

The Chitty Chitty Bang Bang star last made a public appearance at the 2024 Creative Arts Emmy Awards on 7 September. During the ceremony, he took home the Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) award for his birthday show, Dick Van Dyke 98 Years of Magic.