Inside Bob Mortimer's health battles as Gone Fishing star left 'unable to walk'

Gone Fishing star Bob Mortimer has always been open about his health battles, especially since undergoing a life-saving operation after a terrifying near-death experience. The comedian, 66, was drawn to a "bright light" when his heart stopped beating for 32 minutes back in 2015, with 95% of his arteries blocked.

He underwent a triple heart bypass to remedy the issue, and explained on Kathy Burke's Where There's a Will, There's a Wake podcast: "I experienced going towards the light and feeling happier than I have ever felt, ever. It was quite extraordinary, and then I woke up a day later and I was OK. I thought, 'This is great. I no longer fear death and everything'."

He added: "I don't feel scared about death, I just feel so frustrated and sad to think I won't see how stories end.

"My children's story. My wife's. The football. All the stories going on in the world that you're going to miss the end of."

Bob rushed his marriage to wife Lisa Matthews because of how ill he was. Just half an hour after exchanging vows, he was in hospital ready for the surgery.

Bob has also experienced a horrific battle with shingles, which caused him to lose 20% of the muscle mass in his legs and left him "unable to walk".

Speaking to his Gone Fishing partner Paul Whitehouse, he said: "It's been a very, very, very unhealthy year for me, with my shingles. It was the worst health year of my life to be honest and you know what, it was worse than my heart period.

"At the moment the consultant saying I'm heading for 80% muscle recovery in my leg and she said, 'You'll just have to see what that means for you'. The muscles I've lost, I've lost... But other ones can compensate for it, you know what I mean?"

Bob added on This Morning: "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."

The Last One Laughing star suffered from rheumatoid arthritis in his 20s. While it was in remission for years, Bob revealed in 2023 that it was "back".

He said: "It is really sad for me to know whether it will go. Yes, I might be fat, but actually, I am on steroids."