He needs a spoonful of sugar.
Dick Van Dyke, 98, has canceled another planned public appearance, as the “Mary Poppins” star skipped the 2024 Emmys on Sept. 15 for the first time.
Van Dyke, who will turn 99 in December, was scheduled to attend the three-day FanX event held in Salt Lake City from September 26 to September 29; however, event organizers announced on Monday that they had to cancel the event.
The announcement read, “He is grateful to all those who continue to support him, but at nearly 99 years of age, travelling and meeting thousands of people is simply not possible for him at this time.”
The “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” star was confirmed to attend the 2024 Emmys by the TV Academy and ABC awards website The event was scheduled for September 9, but he was the only presenter who couldn't attend.
Van Dyke's most recent public appearance was at the 2024 Creative Arts Emmys on Sept. 7, where his CBS special, “Dick Van Dyke 98 Years of Magic,” won the award for Outstanding Variety Special.
“The Dick Van Dyke Show” star posed for photos sitting in a chair holding an Emmy statuette. He wore a black suit with a white dress shirt and black bow tie.
His wife, Arlene Silver, 53wore a shiny silver dress at the event.
Despite winning an Emmy Award for his special, Van Dyke himself could not take home a statuette, as he was not a producer on the project. Diversity,
The special, which aired in December, featured vintage footage and live performances of songs from Van Dyke’s remarkable career.
One of Van Dyke's most iconic roles was in “Mary Poppins,” in which he played the Cockney-accented chimney sweeper Bert.
In December 2023, in the “Dick Van Dyke 98 Years of Magic CBS” special, Julie Andrews recalled meeting Van Dyke while filming the 1964 Disney musical.
“When I got there the first day, Dick was already working with the choreographers and the dancers,” Andrews said.
He recalled how “young, fit and gorgeous” Van Dyke was at the time.
“I'd never made a film before, and had just given birth to my lovely daughter, Emma, about six weeks previously, and I quickly realised I had to buckle down and get fit,” she said.
The “Princess Diaries” star added, “I found it very difficult, I can tell you. Dick couldn't have been kinder, more genuine and more helpful. I think we bonded right away. I was so lucky to have him with me for my first job in Hollywood.”
Silvers is Van Dyke's second wife. He was married to Margie Willett from 1948 to 1984, with whom he had four children. He married Silvers in 2012. Before his second wife, he also had a long-term relationship with Michelle Triola that lasted more than three decades, until her death in 2009.
Van Dyke's career remains strong into its ninth decade.
He appeared on “The Masked Singer” in 2023 and won a Daytime Emmy for his role on “Days of Our Lives” in 2024, becoming the oldest winner in history.
“I can't believe it. I feel like a nighttime television detective,” he said after winning. “I'm 98 years old. Can you believe it? It's actually the best part of an 80-year lifespan in the business. If I knew I could live that long I would have taken better care of myself.”
The Post has contacted Van Dyke’s rep for comment.
