Bob Mortimer may share the screen with fellow comedian Paul Whitehouse now, but this may not have always been in the cards if first impressions were anything to go by.
Mortimer and Whitehouse: Go Fishing is back for season seven with episode two airing tonight, Sunday, September 29, at 9pm on Two.
This time around, the old friends will be travelling overseas for an Irish fishing trip on the River Finn as they attempt to catch salmon.
Mortimer, 65, and Whitehouse, 66, first crossed paths in the late 1980s when the latter and his comedy partner Charlie Higson went to watch a Vic and Bob set at The Albany Empire.
Whitehouse admitted he was a fan of Mortimer and his comedy partner Vic Reeves and that they met as they “wangled” their way onto the stage to perform some of their act.
Bob Mortimer admits he was ‘scared’ of Paul Whitehouse when they first met. (Image: BBC)
It was then during an interview with the duo on Sunday Brunch that Mortimer shared his perspective on meeting Whitehouse.
He explained: “When I first met Paul I thought he was really left-wing.
“You know he’s got that look about him like a socialist worker…scared still of him I was but he was a lovely man.
“But he’s quite frightening when you first meet him.”
It was Mortimer’s health issues that actually inspired the creation of the Go Fishing series after he had to have a triple bypass in 2015.
Comedians Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse in the 1990s. (Image: GETTY)
Whitehouse noticed that his friend had become “hermitted” while he was recovering from the operation and suggested that they go fishing, inspiring the hit series.
As well as discussing their lives, the idea was to showcase the “beautiful” scenery around the UK.
Mortimer said: “I know this sounds like a cliche but we did want to make Britain the star of the show.
“The timeless wonder of the English countryside. And we hope that we sort of captured it in places.”
Mortimer And Whitehouse: Go Fishing continues every Sunday at 9pm on Two.