Bob Mortimer has revealed he was unable to walk for half of the new season of his show Gone Fishing after contracting shingles.
The seventh series of Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing, which follows Bob and fellow comedian Paul Whitehouse on a fishing adventure around the UK, began on Sunday at Rocklands Mere, Norfolk.
But Bob, 65, admitted filming almost didn’t happen because he was left with weakened muscles after a six-month bout of shingles and had to be wheeled around several locations.
Shingles is a painful disease caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. Anyone can get it, but it is more common in older people.
“I wasn’t feeling very well and it was a bit of a struggle, but as always Paul looked after me and helped me through. For half the season I couldn’t walk so it was a big challenge at times. When we were at Trent I was carried from a wheelchair to the top of the bench. You never see that, but you don’t see me standing either,” he said. The mirror.
Bob Mortimer has revealed he was unable to walk for half of the most recent season of his show Gone Fishing after contracting shingles.
Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing follows Bob and his fellow comedian Paul Whitehouse (pictured, left and right respectively) as they embark on a fishing adventure around the UK.
‘I was just trying to get some muscle back, or get a bit stronger. I’ve got 80% back and by the end of the series I was reasonably spry. The first two episodes are the best Gone Fishing episodes ever made. I think they’re great.
“Paul and I are getting better and better, which sounds like a bit of a brag. I think we know what the show is about and what people like. I love this show.”
As in the previous series, Bob is in charge of food and accommodation. He says his favourite meal this time around is the thermos hot dogs they ate by the water in Norfolk in the first episode.
The BBC2 show was born in 2018 when Paul lured Bob to the riverbank after a triple heart bypass.
Bob underwent triple heart bypass surgery in 2015, when his heart stopped for 32 minutes after it was discovered that 95 percent of his arteries were blocked.
In June, it was announced that BBC Factual had commissioned an eighth season of the series.
Paul said: “I can’t wait to get back to Gone Fishing with that other bloke in tow,” and Bob added: “I’m looking forward to visiting old haunts from my youth as Paul and I will be travelling back in time for this series, going fishing in places that shaped our lives.”
BBC Commissioning Editor Patrick McMahon said: ‘We’re delighted to welcome Paul and Bob back for another slice of fishing, friendship and riverside philosophy.
‘Following their adventures and spending time in their company is always a pleasure, and this series promises to be the most personal and enjoyable yet.’
While waiting for the fish to bite in some of the most picturesque landscapes, lifelong friends share personal and funny stories, from romantic encounters to health problems.
‘Following their adventures and spending time in their company is always a pleasure, and this series promises to be the most personal and enjoyable yet.’
Executive producer Lisa Clark added: “I’m delighted that we can continue to showcase our beautiful country, joined by Paul, Bob and Ted of course.
There’s plenty more to explore for both man and beast, with plenty of mud for Ted to wallow in and Bob to fall into, while Paul quietly concentrates on the catch at hand.
In December, Bob revealed his “terrible” fear that he would never be able to run again after the “worst health year” of his life.
Doctors told the comedian, who battles rheumatoid arthritis, that he lost 20% of his muscle function after contracting shingles.
“To be honest, it was the worst year of my life in terms of health and, you know what, it was worse than my cardiac period,” he said earlier on the show.
‘At this point, the doctor told me I’m getting close to 80% muscle recovery in my leg and she said, ‘You’ll have to see what that means for you.’
‘The muscles I’ve lost, I’ve lost them… But others can make up for it, you know what I mean?
“I can strengthen the other muscles, but I have this terrible feeling that I’ll never be able to run again and, you know, I used to like running, Paul.”
Bob has been open about his health in the past and has spoken candidly about his triple heart bypass surgery and his struggles with arthritis.
In December 2020, Bob admitted that he feared the coronavirus pandemic would shorten his life by two years.
She confessed that she abandoned her healthy lifestyle during the lockdown: “I haven’t exercised, I’ve eaten a lot and drank a lot of alcohol. The lockdown has probably taken two years off my life.”
The comedian previously spoke about his struggles with rheumatoid arthritis.
Bob said: ‘When I was in my twenties, I suffered from rheumatoid arthritis. I woke up and felt a ‘bang’.
“I haven’t had it since I was 34 and it came back 10 days ago. It’s very sad for me to know if it will go away. Yes, I may be fat, but I’m actually on steroids.
“When I was about 60, I didn’t want anything different to happen, but it’s not until you get to that age that you realise how much you could have done.”
Series seven of Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing airs every Sunday at 9pm on BBC2 and BBC iPlayer.
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