Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse’s Christmas special is airing on BBC (Image: BBC/Owl TV)
Bob Mortimer, the much-loved comedian and TV host, opened up about his recent health struggles with shingles. While there to talk about his latest book, “The Hotel Avocado,” the conversation soon turned to his health due to his work on the hit series, Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing, which he presents with Paul Whitehouse.
Presenter brought up his condition, saying, “You would never know because you haven’t even mentioned it, you weren’t very well doing it [filming], didn’t you get shingles? ” Bob confirmed, detailing how it affected filming: “On one of the shows, when we were on the river, I was in a wheelchair, they didn’t show it on camera but I was carried down and plonked on the river bank with a rug. You wouldn’t know, you’d just notice I was always sat down.”
He also updated viewers on his recovery, stating, “I’m better, shingles is a terrible thing, you can get lucky with it or unlucky. I got a bit unlucky with it, I lost the use of one of my legs but it’s coming back now, I’m a bit limpy but I’m very grateful to be back up and going.”
Bob Mortimer issued a health update after battling shingles (Image: ITV)
In a moment of candid revelation, Bob Mortimer, known for his comedic partnership with Vic Reeves as Vic and Bob and the serene Two show, Gone Fishing, has opened up about his health woes, quoted by the Mirror as saying 2023 has been his ‘worst year ever’ in terms of health. His on-screen camaraderie with co-star Paul Whitehouse is rooted in shared personal battles with heart issues, with their frank discussions set against the tranquil backdrop of UK fishing spots.
Bob recently disclosed on Gone Fishing that the past twelve months saw his health take a serious downturn following a bout of shingles. Long before this, he faced challenges of rheumatoid arthritis from childhood and underwent major triple bypass surgery in 2015, leading to a marked decline in his physical abilities, reports Gloucestershire Live.
On the program, he revealed a substantial reduction in his leg muscle mass—believing he’s lost up to 80%—raising doubts about his ability to run again. Reflecting on their time spent angling, Bob confessed to Paul, “It’s been a very, very, very unhealthy year for me Paul with my shingles… and you know what – it was worse than my heart period.”
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He evoked a harrowing memory when he endured heart failure during his bypass operation nine years ago, which perilously extended for 32 minutes owing to a frightening 95 percent artery blockage.
Bob, despite facing significant health challenges, remained hopeful about adapting and regaining strength. The determined TV star shared his positive outlook: “The muscles I’ve lost, I’ve lost… but other ones can compensate for it, you know what I mean? I can make the other muscles stronger but I have a terrible feeling I’m never going to be able to run again and you know that I used to like to run Paul.”
However, complications from shingles forced the beloved presenter to take a temporary step back from his role on Gone Fishing in September 2023, leaving Lee Mack to fill in.