29 September 2023 , 15:50
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TV comic Lee Mack was called in at the last minute to replace Bob Mortimer as a co-host for his TV show Gone Fishing with Paul Whitehouse.
The 64-year-old star was left unable to take part in the show after falling ill with shingles. The filming of the episode would have taken Bob to visit Burgh Island in Devon. Shingles is a condition which is triggered by the same virus that causes chickenpox. It mainly affects the skin and is not life-threatening but can be painful. After appearing on BBC's Morning Live with Gethin Jones, Paul explained that the show had originally generated from Bob needing to recuperate following an emergency triple bypass.
And on the back of this came the idea to turn it into a show. During lockdown, despite having to maintain a healthy lifestyle Bob confessed that he had thrown caution to the wind and ate and drank whatever he liked. He said: "I've done no exercise, I've eaten so much and drunk so much booze. Lockdown has probably taken two years off of my life."
Bob Mortimer has been replaced by Lee Mack for an episode of Gone Fishing (BBC)Bob underwent the surgery in 2015 when his heart was stopped for 32 minutes after discovering that 95 per cent of his arteries were blocked. Paul, 65, told Gethin: "It was part of his rehabilitation, I know you’ve been speaking a lot on this morning’s programme about health and rehabilitation, and that’s very important, for us obviously the countryside is so restorative, and it does help to build your confidence."
He added: "After a heart procedure like Bob had, which was an emergency triple bypass you’re pretty vulnerable and you need something that can gradually reintroduce you to the world and give you that comfort in a warm embrace of the countryside. And that’s what happened, we started going fishing to try and rehabilitate Bob really, and it grew into the show. I think what works about the programme, I hope, is that it's genuine, it wasn’t designed by a committee in a room, thinking ‘How can we find something for these two Herberts to do.'"
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In a Facetime call, Bob told Paul that Lee would be standing in for him. Speaking of the last minute decision, Paul continued to tell Gethin: "Look, you’re hiding nothing from Lee but yeah, Bob wasn’t very well, he’s had shingles, and he wasn’t very well, he’s alright now and he’s able to come back to the next episode, but he lines up a replacement, a substitute, how can anyone be a substitute for Robert Mortimer?"
Gone Fishing aired in 2018 and viewers saw Paul and Bob take on fishing adventures around the UK while telling tales of their lives. A source told The Sun: "While it was nothing serious, producers thought it might be fun to bring in one of the lads' friends to give Paul company. Lee was so up for it and brings a whole new energy to Gone Fishing."
Bob's recent illness is not the only thing that he has been forced to contend with with. He said in a previous interview: "In my mid-twenties, I got struck down with rheumatoid arthritis. I just woke up and it was like, 'bang'. 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."