Inside the life of Gone Fishing's Bob Mortimer from health battles to marriage

Bob Mortimer is 1 of the country's astir beloved comedians acknowledgment to his appearances connected Shooting Stars, Would I Lie To You? and Gone Fishing

Beloved comedian Bob Mortimer returns to our screens yet again for different bid of Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing. The TV property joins comedian Paul Whitehouse to spell sportfishing crossed the UK and speech memories, stock their wellness problems, callback aged stories and person a bully laughter with each other.

It's 1 of the BBC's biggest hits successful caller years and volition instrumentality connected Sunday, September 22. Bob Mortimer, present aged 65, archetypal formed an iconic drama enactment with Vic Reeves and appeared unneurotic connected Shooting Stars, The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer and Bang Bang, It's Reeves and Mortimer.

The comedian is simply a published histrion acknowledgment to his books The Satsuma Complex and The Hotel Avocado, co-hosts drama podcast Athletico Mince and makes memorable appearances connected BBC's Would I Lie To You?

But what bash we cognize astir his beingness extracurricular of TV including his matrimony hours earlier a life-saving bosom operation?

Early beingness and astir celebrated appearances

Born and raised successful Middlesbrough, helium grew up with his 3 brothers. Bob and his household suffered a abrupt calamity erstwhile his begetter died successful a car clang erstwhile Mortimer was seven.

At astir the aforesaid time, Mortimer accidentally burnt down his family's location with a stray firework. Bob Mortimer loved shot and had trials for his beloved Middlesbrough FC, but couldn't purse his shot dreams owed to early-onset arthritis.

Bob near schoolhouse to survey instrumentality astatine the University of Sussex and the University of Leicester and moved to London and became a solicitor for Southwark Council.

He was dubbed "The Cockroach King" acknowledgment to his enactment with Public Health Act cases regarding cockroach infestations of assembly properties. During his ineligible vocation successful the 1980s, Bob met comedian Vic Reeves pursuing a drama acceptable and sparked a decades-long vocation together.

In 1989, the comedian took a 10-week interruption from his ineligible enactment to grounds Vic Reeves Big Night Out and ne'er returned. Bob did nevertheless usage his ineligible cognition erstwhile helium represented Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker erstwhile helium had been arrested for protesting Michael Jackson's Brit Awards show successful 1996.

Bob Mortimer went connected to contiguous Shooting Stars, Bang Bang, It's Reeves and Mortimer, House of Fools and made memorable performances connected Would I Lie To You?, Never Mind The Buzzcocks and Taskmaster.

Since 2018, Bob Mortimer has collaborated with longtime person and chap comedian, Paul Whitehouse, successful BBC Two drama series, Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing. The 2 comedians, who person some suffered from bosom conditions, spell astir the state to drawback fish, speech astir their health, memories and person banter with each other.

Bob Mortimer's conflict with bosom issues and Shingles

Bob Mortimer has been unfastened astir his wellness struggles implicit the years. Bob suffered thorax pains successful 2015 earlier helium was referred to spot a cardiologist and recovered his arteries were "95 per cent blocked".

Bob underwent unfastened bosom country and recovered astatine his location successful Tunbridge Wells and admitted helium became a recluse who regularly near the house. His person Paul Whitehouse called Bob and asked him if helium wanted to spell sportfishing to assistance amended his intelligence wellness and sparked the beloved BBC series.

Alongside his bosom issues, Bob had a bout with Shingles. The information was truthful achy that Bob dropped retired filming Gone Fishing and helium was replaced by comedian Lee Mack.

When quizzed by This Morning presenter Alison Hammond astir his condition, she remarked: "You would ne'er cognize due to the fact that you haven't adjacent mentioned it, you weren't precise good doing it [filming], didn't you get shingles?"

Bob confirmed the situation, elaborating: "On 1 of the shows, erstwhile we were connected the river, I was successful a wheelchair, they didn't amusement it connected camera but I was carried down and plonked connected the stream slope with a rug. You wouldn't know, you'd conscionable announcement I was ever sat down."

Providing further item connected his existent status, helium added: "I'm better, shingles is simply a unspeakable thing, you tin get fortunate with it oregon unlucky. I got a spot unlucky with it, I mislaid the usage of 1 of my legs but it's coming backmost now, I'm a spot limpy but I'm precise grateful to beryllium backmost up and going."

During Gone Fishing, Bob elaborate however the information severely impacted his muscles, estimating a nonaccomplishment of up to 80 percent musculus wide successful his legs, a concern that leads him to mostly judge his moving days whitethorn good beryllium over.

Whilst reminiscing connected the riverbank, Bob shared with Paul: "It's been a very, very, precise unhealthy twelvemonth for maine Paul with my shingles... and you cognize what - it was worse than my bosom period."

Marriage to woman hours earlier live-saving surgery

Bob and Lisa archetypal got unneurotic successful 1993 and welcomed 2 children: Harry and Tom. Despite their long-lasting romance, they did not necktie the knot until 2015, conscionable minutes earlier helium underwent triple bypass surgery.

In 2016, Bob recalled being told his arteries were astir afloat blocked up and helium was fixed support by a London registrar to wed Lisa earlier than planned.

He told Teesside Live: “I recovered retired connected the Thursday that I needed surgery, truthful I made a volition connected the Friday. I recovered retired I couldn’t get joined to Lisa due to the fact that you person to springiness 21 days’ announcement oregon something.

“My advisor said I was incredibly ill, truthful the registrar successful London gave maine support to get joined connected the Monday. So I got joined astatine 9.30am connected the Monday, and went to infirmary astatine 10am to person my operation.”

The ceremonial was a tiny matter with conscionable their children present. Bob’s drama spouse Vic Reeves was unluckily not contiguous astatine the clip to beryllium his champion man.

Where does Bob Mortimer live?

Bob presently lives successful a semi-detached Victorian location successful Tunbridge Wells with his woman Lisa Matthews. He was granted support to instal caller gates astatine his location aft motorists were utilizing his driveway to crook around.

The comedian antecedently revealed that his triple bosom bypass country cured him of the fatigue that made him nap successful his car each the time.

The prima antecedently joked to The Mirror that helium had toured assorted locations to find the champion spot for car snooze and 1 determination successful Kent was his favourite. The car parkland adjacent the Tunbridge Wells Cineworld was seemingly "perfection".