TV
Gone Fishing star Bob Mortimer has ‘terrible feeling’ he may never be able to run again due to muscle wastage
Comedian Bob Mortimer – who is on his Gone Fishing show this weekend (October 27) – once confessed that he might not ever be able to run again.
The 65-year-old star made the devastating admission during an episode of his BBC show, Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing, last year.
Bob Mortimer makes devastating confession
During the episode, titled Gone Hogmanay Fishing, Bob opened up about his health issues to his friend and co-star, Paul Whitehouse.
“It’s been a very, very, very unhealthy year for me Paul with my shingles…,” he said.
“I’m really…I’m sorry about that mate,” Paul said. “Worst health year of my life, to be honest,” Bob then continued.
“And you know what – it was worse than my heart period,” he then added. Bob underwent triple bypass surgery back in 2015.
Last year, he contracted shingles. And his health battles led to muscle wastage, which he believes could affect his ability to run.
Bob Mortimer opens up
“With this, you had misery and pain in equal measure, didn’t you,” Paul then said.
“At the moment, my consultant said I’m heading towards 80% muscle recovery in my leg,” Bob then said.
Bob then continued. “The muscles I’ve lost, I’ve lost… But other ones can compensate for it, you know what I mean?” he said.
“I can make the other muscles stronger,” he said. “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,” he then said.
“You used to fly, didn’t you,” Paul replied.
Bob’s health woes
In 2022, Bob’s health issues were so great that he was forced to pull out of filming an episode of Gone Fishing. Comedian and Not Going Out star Lee Mack filled in for him instead.
When Bob had his triple heart bypass in 2015, he was told by doctors that he would die if he didn’t have it done. It came after they discovered that some of his arteries were 95-98% blocked.
The star has also struggled with rheumatoid arthritis on and off since he was in his twenties.
“In my mid-twenties I got struck down with rheumatoid arthritis. I just woke up and it was like: ‘Bang,’” he has said.
“I have been free of it since I have been 34 and it came back 10 days ago. It is really sad for me to know whether it will go. Yes I might be fat but actually I am on steroids,” he added during a live show in 2022.
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Gone Fishing is on BBC Two Sunday October 27 at 9pm.
