Lee Mack slammed by viewers for not using fishing hook on Gone Fishing TV show

02 October 2023 , 16:04

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Lee Mack slammed by viewers for not using fishing hook on Gone Fishing TV show

Comedian Lee Mack left some viewers of Gone Fishing enraged after he refused to use a hook to fish as it went against his beliefs as a vegan.

The 55 year old star had stepped in at the last minute to replace Bob Mortimer after he had fallen ill with shingles, which left him unable to visit Burgh Island in Devon, as part of his TV show Gone Fishing wit close pal Paul Whitehouse. And although Lee appeared to be a perfect fit, things soon turned sour for viewers when he opted to use a magnet instead of a hook to fish as he is a vegan.

Lee Mack refused to fish with a hook because he is a vegan

Fans of the popular BBC2 show saw Paul ask Lee if they should "go and have a fish." And it was at this point that Lee replied: "This is why I was worried about doing it when Bob asked me to come, I don’t fish. And when I say 'I don’t fish', I don’t mean, 'I can’t fish – teach me, grasshopper.' I mean, I won’t fish; I’m a vegan."

In response to Lee's shock revelation, Paul asked: "Did Bob know this when he put you forward as a candidate or did everyone else say no?" And Lee's response did little to please fans. One person penned: "Does Lee Mack just say yes to everything? Why go on a fishing programme if you’re vegan and don’t fish?"

Another wrote: "I’ve nothing against Lee Mack but he wasn’t right for #gonefishing why have someone that doesn’t fish? I really hope that Bob recovered in time for the last episode." And a third said in jest: "Asking Lee Mack onto #GoneFIshing , but refusing to fish (Vegan), is a bit like asking Kate Moss to host Man v Food."

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Lee Mack stepped in to replace Bob Mortimer on BBC Two's Gone Fishing

Meanwhile a fourth added: "Is Lee Mack a vegan? He should have mentioned it. Why go on a fishing programme if you refuse to fish. It’s like going on Mastermind and refusing to answer questions." But one person certainly did not see the funny side of things as they wrote: "Turned off #gonefishing. @LeeMack shouldn't have gone on if he is vegan and refuses to fish. He's just being annoying with his magnet 'fishing '. Would have rather they missed an episode tbh than replace Bob. Get well soon Bob. We'll wait for you."

However, Lee clearly left viewers divided as some praised the TV personality for his appearance on the show. One person said: "We loved Lee Mack on #gonefishing tonight, very clever to show how to substitute for a vegan, a pastime that is more than fishing, chatting, good humour, peace and quiet, per substitute for Bob tonight."

And another added: "It was a shame @RealBobMortimer couldn't be there for last night's episode of #gonefishing, but Lee Mack wasn't a bad substitution. Funny guy." A third said: "I'm a vegan. I love Lee Mack. If he wants to go on a fishing show and talk about being a vegan LET HIM. Y'know. Free speech and all that. He injected a different perspective which clearly made a lot of people uncomfortable. That's what a good vegan does."

Lucretia Munro