Bob Mortimer
{{short description|English comedian, presenter, actor (born 1959)}}
{{About|the comedian|the footballer|Bob Mortimer (footballer)|the evangelist|Bob Mortimer (evangelist)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Bob Mortimer
| image = Bob Mortimer in 2017.jpg
| image_size = 200
| caption = Mortimer in 2017
| birth_name = Robert Renwick Mortimer
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1959|5|23}}
| birth_place = Middlesbrough, England
| death_date =
| death_place =
| years_active = 1986–present
| occupation = Comedian, author, television presenter, writer and actor
| alma_mater = University of Sussex
University of Leicester
| spouse = {{marriage|Lisa Matthews
|2015}}
| children = 2
}}
Robert Renwick Mortimer (born 23 May 1959) is an English comedian, author, television presenter, writer and actor. He is one half of the comedy double act Reeves and Mortimer with Vic Reeves, and appears in the Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing series with Paul Whitehouse. He has appeared on TV panel shows such as Would I Lie to You? and Taskmaster.
Early life
Mortimer was born in Middlesbrough on 23 May 1959,{{Cite web |last=Pain |first=Andrew |date=10 August 2011 |title=Bob Mortimer on growing up on Teesside and North-east comedy |url=http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/local-news/bob-mortimer-growing-up-teesside-3691898 |access-date=11 February 2022 |website=TeessideLive}} and grew up with three brothers in the town's Linthorpe area.{{cite web |last1=Herring |first1=Richard |title=Episode 64 – Bob Mortimer |url=http://www.comedy.co.uk/podcasts/richard_herring_lst_podcast/episode_64_bob_mortimer/ |series=Richard Herring's Leicester Square Theatre Podcast |website=British Comedy Guide |access-date=17 June 2015 |ref=Herring}} His father died in a car crash when Mortimer was seven.{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3b2k5jV6ZD7PVCBp92WBTz8/nine-things-we-learned-from-bob-mortimers-desert-island-discs |title=Nine things we learned from Bob Mortimer's Desert Island Discs |website=BBC |access-date=19 December 2021}} At around the same time, Mortimer accidentally burnt down his family's home with a firework.{{cite web |url=http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2016-09-16/the-10-most-surprising-truths-weve-learnt-from-the-guests-on-would-i-lie-to-you/ |title=The 10 most surprising truths we've learnt from the guests on Would I Lie to You? |publisher=Immediate Media Company Ltd. |website=Radio Times |access-date=13 August 2019}}{{cite news |last1=Ewing |first1=Sarah |title=Bob Mortimer: 'I wrecked the family fortunes by burning down mum's uninsured house' |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/fame-fortune/bob-mortimer-wrecked-family-fortunes-burning-mums-uninsured/ |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/fame-fortune/bob-mortimer-wrecked-family-fortunes-burning-mums-uninsured/ |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live}}{{cbignore}} He attended King's Manor School in Middlesbrough, where his schoolmates included future sports presenter Ali Brownlee.{{cite news |title=Voice of the Boro Ali Brownlee of BBC Tees dies |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-35578501 |access-date=15 February 2016 |work=BBC News |date=15 February 2016}} A keen football fan, he had trials for local club Middlesbrough F.C., but abandoned his footballing dreams due to early-onset arthritis.
Mortimer left school with three A-Levels and went on to study law at the University of Sussex and University of Leicester. There, he became a punk, and started a band called Dog Dirt.{{cite news |url= https://www.theguardian.com/stage/live/2015/jun/12/vic-reeves-and-bob-mortimer-webchat-post-your-questions-now |title=Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer webchat – as it happened |newspaper=The Guardian |date=16 June 2015 |access-date=13 November 2020}} After leaving university with an LLM in Welfare Law, he moved to London and became a solicitor for Southwark Council. He then moved to a private practice in Peckham, where his work with Public Health Act cases regarding cockroach infestations of council properties led to a local paper, the South London Press, dubbing him "The Cockroach King".{{cite news |title=Bob Mortimer |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00029fv |access-date=4 May 2019 |work=Desert Island Discs |publisher=BBC |date=3 February 2019}} According to his autobiography, he was mugged during this time by one of his clients, who stopped and apologised after recognising him; he continued to represent the client.{{cite book |last1=Mortimer |first1=Bob |title=And Away... |date=2021 |publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=978-1-398-50530-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JBQiEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT81 |language=en |at=Chapter 15}}
Career
{{BLP sources section|date=October 2019}}
= Partnership with Vic Reeves =
{{Main|Vic and Bob}}
In 1986, Mortimer went to the Goldsmiths Tavern in New Cross, London, to see a new show by the comedian Vic Reeves. Mortimer was impressed by the performance, particularly the character Tappy Lappy, which was Reeves attempting to tap dance while wearing a Bryan Ferry mask and planks on his feet. Mortimer approached Reeves after the show, and the two began writing material for the next week's show together. They also became good friends and formed a band, the Potter's Wheel. Mortimer began to perform on the show, which was christened Vic Reeves Big Night Out, creating characters such as the Singing Lawyer, Graham Lister, Judge Nutmeg and the Man With the Stick.
The show became successful in South London and eventually outgrew Goldsmiths Tavern, moving in 1988 to the Albany Empire in Deptford. Mortimer soon became an integral part of the performance, providing him with a weekly break from his legal work, which had begun to disillusion him.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}{{Cite book |last=Mortimer |first=Bob |title=And Away... |publisher=Simon & Schuster Ltd |year=2022 |isbn=9781398505322}}
Reeves and Mortimer made their television debut on the short-lived 1989 comedy chat show One Hour with Jonathan Ross, in the game show segment known as "Knock down ginger". Later that year, the duo made their first television pilot together, Vic Reeves Big Night Out. The television show remained true to the nightclub act's variety show format. Mortimer took a 10-week break from his legal job to record the series and never returned.
The two later created a one-off pilot for a sitcom called The Weekenders in 1992, followed by the sketch show The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer in 1993, and Shooting Stars, a comedy panel show that first aired in December 1993. After being commissioned, Shooting Stars ran for five series between 1995 and 2002, with a special anniversary edition broadcast in December 2008. A sixth series was broadcast in late 2009, followed by a seventh series in mid-2010, and an eighth in 2011.
In 1999, Reeves and Mortimer appeared in a second sketch show called Bang Bang, It's Reeves and Mortimer. A year later, Mortimer played the part of Jeff Randall in Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased), opposite Reeves as Marty Hopkirk and Emilia Fox as Jeannie Hurst.
In 2003, Mortimer and Reeves were listed in The Observer as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2003/dec/07/comedy.thebestofbritishcomedy |title=The A-Z of laughter (part two) |newspaper=The Observer |date=7 December 2003}} In a 2005 poll to find the Comedians' Comedian, the duo were voted the 9th greatest comedy act of all time by fellow comedians and comedy insiders.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/jan/02/arts.artsnews |title=Cook tops poll of comedy greats |newspaper=The Observer |first=Vanessa |last=Thorpe |date=2 January 2005}}
In 2004, Mortimer and Reeves wrote and starred in Catterick, a six-episode surreal comedy about an ex-soldier, Carl, who returns home from serving in Cyprus to join his brother Chris, who has agreed to help find Carl's son. Cast included Reece Shearsmith, Matt Lucas, Morwenna Banks, Tim Healy, Mark Benton and Charlie Higson.
File:Bob Mortimer in Middlesbrough in 2010.jpg
On 17 November 2007, Mortimer appeared as Reeves' hairdresser, Carl, in the weekly radio sketch show on BBC Radio 2 entitled Vic Reeves' House Arrest.{{cite web |title=Vic Reeves' House Arrest |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/comedy/vicreeves.shtml |website=BBC Radio 2}}
On 27 February 2008, Reeves announced that he and Mortimer were working together on a new sitcom about superheroes who get their powers through a malfunctioning telegraph pole.{{Cite news |last=Dent |first=Karen |date=27 February 2008 |title=Reeves enjoys a Big Day Out with apprentices|work=The Journal |url=http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-news/2008/02/27/reeves-enjoys-a-big-day-out-with-apprentices-61634-20527947/ |url-status=dead |access-date=28 February 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090629211325/http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-news/2008/02/27/reeves-enjoys-a-big-day-out-with-apprentices-61634-20527947/ |archive-date=29 June 2009}}
In November 2013, Reeves and Mortimer filmed episodes of a new BBC sitcom, House of Fools, also featuring Matt Berry (as Beef), Morgana Robinson (as Julie) and Dan Skinner (as Bosh).
In October 2015, the pair cancelled the first leg of their live tour, 25 Year of Reeves and Mortimer: The Poignant Moments, after Mortimer underwent an emergency triple heart bypass.{{Cite web |url=http://www.gigglebeats.co.uk/2015/10/vic-and-bob-cancel-live-shows/ |title=Vic and Bob cancel live shows |website=Giggle Beats |date=27 October 2015 |language=en-US |access-date=18 January 2017}}
On 29 December 2017, Mortimer and Reeves starred in a relaunch and new singular episode of their comedy Big Night Out for the BBC. The show has been remade and subsequently renamed to Vic and Bob's Big Night Out. The episode remained true to the classic Big Night Out formula and was composed of various comedy songs, skits, characters and sketches. This was the first time the Big Night Out series had featured Mortimer's name in the title. A full series of Vic and Bob's Big Night Out began on BBC Four in November 2018.
= Solo career and appearances =
{{Prose|date=April 2025|section}}
- In 1997, in collaboration with Chris Rea, Mortimer recorded Rea's hit "Let's Dance" with his favourite football team, Middlesbrough. The single reached No. 44 in the UK Singles Chart.{{cite book
| first= David
| last= Roberts
| year= 2006
| title= British Hit Singles & Albums
| edition= 19th
| publisher= Guinness World Records Limited
| location= London
| isbn= 1-904994-10-5
| page= 452}}
- In 1996–97, Mortimer appeared on an episode of Mash and Peas with Matt Lucas, David Walliams and Reece Shearsmith, in a sketch spoofing Seinfeld, called I'm Bland... yet all my friends are krazy!.
- Mortimer voiced the animated bulldog in adverts for Churchill Insurance.{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/6261946/Churchill-dog-to-star-in-22-pantos.-Oh-Yes..html |title=Churchill dog to star in 22 pantos. Oh Yes. |first=Harry |last=Wallop |date=5 October 2009 |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |accessdate=7 July 2019}} Churchill's "Oh, yes!" catchphrase is believed to be an impersonation of Potter the Janitor (played by Deryck Guyler) from the television series of the 1970s, Please Sir!.{{cite web |url=http://rosswagman.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/oh-yes-its-deryck-guyler.html |title=Oh yes, it's Deryck Guyler |website=Ross Wagman's Blog |accessdate=20 August 2012}} Older adverts had Mortimer's voice responding to questions posed by his comedy partner, Vic Reeves. In April 2005, however, Reeves was removed from the adverts, after he was convicted of drink-driving.{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/4389859.stm |title=Reeves dropped from insurance ads |date=29 March 2005 |website=BBC News}}
- In July 2002, Mortimer fought and defeated Les Dennis in the BBC's first Celebrity Boxing match, as part of Sport Relief 2002.{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}}
- In 2002, Mortimer presented the Channel 4 list show The 100 Greatest World Cup Moments of All Time! An updated show, again hosted by Mortimer, was broadcast by the channel in 2010, to coincide with the 2010 FIFA World Cup.{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}}
- Mortimer produced and presented the second match, The Fight, a year later, which saw Grant Bovey versus Ricky Gervais.{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}}
- In 2005, Mortimer hosted his first major TV series without Reeves, a comedy panel game for BBC One, called 29 Minutes of Fame, which featured regular guests such as Jo Brand.{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}}
- Also in 2005, Mortimer voiced the character of Father Nicholas in the animated BBC Three series Popetown. The show was not broadcast by the channel, for fear of offending Catholic viewers, though it saw a DVD release later that year.{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3684464.stm |title=BBC pulls controversial Popetown |date=23 September 2004 |website=BBC News |access-date=29 June 2010}}
- Mortimer co-wrote the BBC Three sketch comedy Tittybangbang with Jill Parker. The programme starred Lucy Montgomery and Debbie Chazen, with Tony Way, and ran for three series between 2006 and 2007.{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}}
- Mortimer appeared on BBC Two's Never Mind the Buzzcocks on four occasions – in 1996, on Sean Hughes' team; in 2000, on Phill Jupitus's team; in 2008, as a guest team captain; and in 2012, as a guest host.{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}}
- In April 2010, Mortimer appeared on the Sky1 panel show A League of Their Own, on Andrew Flintoff's team.{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}}
- Mortimer has been a regular guest panellist on the BBC1 quiz show Would I Lie to You? since 2012, having appeared in twelve episodes up to the 2024/5 series. He has since stated that his appearances on this show have given him more recognition than any of his previous work.{{cite news |title=Paul Whitehouse and Bob Mortimer: 'There was the chance one of us might drop dead on the riverbank' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/jul/15/paul-whitehouse-bob-mortimer-fishing-surgery-hearty-lunch |newspaper=The Guardian |date=15 July 2018 |access-date=3 September 2020}}
- In November 2013, Mortimer appeared on an episode of Ross Noble Freewheeling.{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}}
- Also in 2013, Mortimer played Frank in the E4 sitcom Drifters.{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}}
- On 18 June 2014, Mortimer appeared on an episode of the Dave show, Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled.{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}}
- On 4 March 2015, he appeared in Let's Play Darts, but lost out to Roisin Conaty.{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}}
- In 2015, he appeared in an episode of Celebrity Squares alongside Vic Reeves.{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}}
- In April 2015, Mortimer took over from the late Rik Mayall as Bombardier Bedford, the mascot of Wells Bombardier Beer.{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}}
- Since March 2016, Mortimer has written and co-hosted regular comedy podcast, Athletico Mince, alongside Andy Dawson.{{Cite web |last=Nelson |first=Alex |date=2018-03-28 |title=Podcast of the week: Athletico Mince's surreal look at football |url=https://inews.co.uk/culture/radio/podcast-athletico-mince-139215 |access-date=2023-04-23 |website=inews.co.uk |language=en}}
- Mortimer has appeared on numerous episodes of the Sky1 comedy panel game Duck Quacks Don't Echo, hosted by his regular Would I Lie to You? team captain, Lee Mack.{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}}
- In 2017, Mortimer competed in and won series 5 of Taskmaster against Aisling Bea, Sally Phillips, Nish Kumar and Mark Watson. He then competed in the Taskmaster: Champion of Champions series against Noel Fielding, Josh Widdicombe, Katherine Ryan and Rob Beckett, coming last.{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}}
- In June and July 2018, Mortimer teamed up with his longtime friend and fellow comedian, Paul Whitehouse, in a BBC2 six part comedy series, Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing. The two friends, who have both suffered from heart conditions, shared their thoughts and experiences while fishing at a variety of locations around the UK.{{cite web |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b7r2k6 |title=Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing |work=BBC}} Six series of the programme have aired to date; a book was released in 2020,{{cite web |url=https://www.waterstones.com/book/mortimer-and-whitehouse-gone-fishing/bob-mortimer/paul-whitehouse/9781788702942 |title=Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing (Life, Death and the Thrill of the Catch) |website=Waterstones}} series 4 and Christmas specials aired in 2021 and 2023.{{cite web |title=When is Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing series 4's release date? Everything you need to know |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2020-09-29/mortimer-and-whitehouse-gone-fishing-series-4-release-date/ |website=Radio Times |access-date=6 October 2020}}{{Cite web |title=BBC Two – Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b7r2k6 |access-date=9 October 2023 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}}
- On 3 February 2019, Mortimer appeared on the BBC Radio programme Desert Island Discs.{{cite web |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m00029fv |title= Bob Mortimer on Desert Island Discs|work=BBC}}
- On 25 August 2021, Mortimer appeared on episode 116 of the food and comedy podcast Off Menu, hosted by comedians James Acaster and Ed Gamble.{{Cite web |title=Episodes |url=https://www.offmenupodcast.co.uk/episodes |access-date=2023-11-17 |website=Off Menu |language=en-US}} His dream menu was an Odeon Cinema hotdog as a starter, with ketchup and mustard, swirled by his own finger. Main course was a "perfect vindaloo" with poppadoms and chips. Side dish was a shallow fried turbot. His chosen drink was a citrus IPA served at minus 20 degrees. Dessert was a syrup sponge pudding and custard, made by his wife. He was allowed to have a Boost baguette and a cube of frozen custard on his way home.{{cite web|website=squarespace.com
|url=https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5c59b79b0cf57db0a3d8d54f/t/63e0dc3ef8f2bc7d2e62592f/1675680831204/Off+Menu+-+Ep116+-+Bob+Mortimer+-+Transcript.pdf|title=Off Menu – Ep116 – Bob Mortimer}}
- In September 2021, Mortimer released an autobiography titled And Away....{{Cite book |last1=Mortimer |first1=Bob |url=https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/books/And-Away/Bob-Mortimer/9781398505292 |title=And Away...By Bob Mortimer |date=16 September 2021 |publisher=Gallery Books UK |isbn=9781398505292 |access-date=1 February 2021}}{{Cite web |title=And Away...By Bob Mortimer |url=https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/And-Away-Audiobook/1398505315 |website=Audible}}
- Mortimer wrote The Satsuma Complex, a Sunday Times bestselling comic novel published in 2022.{{cite news |last1=Fox |first1=Killian |title=The Satsuma Complex by Bob Mortimer review – the sleuth is out there |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/oct/16/the-satsuma-complex-by-bob-mortimer-review-the-sleuth-is-out-there |access-date=18 October 2022 |work=The Guardian |date=16 October 2022}} An audiobook was released, narrated by Mortimer and Sally Phillips.{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}}
- In March 2025, Mortimer starred in and won the first series of LOL: Last One Laughing UK, hosted by Jimmy Carr & Roisin Conaty, alongside Richard Ayoade, Sara Pascoe, Lou Sanders, Rob Beckett, Judi Love, Joe Wilkinson, Joe Lycett, Daisy May Cooper & Harriet Kemsley.{{cite web | url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/mar/31/last-one-laughing-uk-bob-mortimer-amazon | title=Nothing beats Bob Mortimer! The irresistible comedy that could just save Amazon | work=The Guardian | date=31 March 2025 | last1=Heritage | first1=Stuart }}
Filmography
{{Incomplete list|date=July 2023}}
= With Vic Reeves =
| class="wikitable"
|+ !Year !Title !Channel !Notes |
| 1989
|One Hour with Jonathan Ross | rowspan="3" |Channel 4 |TV Debut in "Knock Down Ginger" segment |
| 1990-1991
| |
| 1992
|Pilot |
| 1993-1995
|The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer | rowspan="5" |BBC Two |Sketch show 2 series, 12 episodes |
| 1993
|Reeves and Mortimer's Driving School | 45 Min. Video |
| 1995-1997, 2002, 2009-2011
|Broadcast pilot in 1993 8 series, 72 episodes |
| 1997
|It's Ulrika! |One-off special |
| 1999
|Bang, Bang, It's Reeves and Mortimer |1 series, 6 episodes |
| 2000-2001
|Acting only 2 series, 13 episodes |
| rowspan="2" |2004
|Sitcom 1 series, 6 episodes |
| The All Star Comedy Show
| rowspan="3" |ITV |2-part special |
| rowspan="2" |2005
|1 series, 6 episodes |
| Star Chamber
|Pilot, not commissioned |
| 2014-2015
|2 series, 13 episodes |
| 2015
|ITV |Guest appearance |
| 2017-2019
|Vic and Bob's Big Night Out |One-off special, followed by 2 series. Totalling 9 episodes |
= Television =
| class="wikitable"
|+ !Year !Title !Role !Channel !Notes !Ref |
| 1996
| |In the Seinfeld spoof sketch "I'm Bland... yet all my friends are krazy!" | |
| 1996, 2000, 2008, 2012
|Guest panellist, guest team captain, guest presenter |Guest panellist in 1996 and 2000. Guest team captain in 2008. Guest presenter in 2012. | |
| rowspan="2" |2002
|The 100 Greatest World Cup Moments of All Time! |Presenter |For the 2002 FIFA World Cup | |
| Celebrity Boxing for Sport Relief
|Contestant | rowspan="2" |BBC One |Defeated Les Dennis in a charity match | |
| rowspan="2" |2005
|Presenter |1 series, 6 episodes | |
| Popetown
|Father Nicholas (voice) | rowspan="2" |BBC Three |Straight to DVD, the series was not broadcast due to offensive content. | |
| 2005-2007
| |Sketch Show Co-creator and co-writer with Jill Parker. Director for series 3 | |
| rowspan="2" |2010
|The 100 Greatest World Cup Moments of All Time! | |Updated version for the 2010 FIFA World Cup | |
| A League of Their Own
|Guest panellist | | | |
| 2012
|Guest panellist |Guest panellist 12 appearances, the most of any guest. | |
| 2013
|Ross Noble Freewheeling |Self |Dave | | |
| 2013-2016
|Frank |E4 |Supporting role, 11 episodes | |
| 2013-2019
|8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown |Self |8 episodes | |
| 2014
|Guest |Dave | | |
| 2014-2016
|Guest panellist |4 appearances | |
| 2015
|Contestant |On a team with professional darts player Andy Fordham | |
| 2017
|Contestant |Dave |Series 5 champion Contestant in two-part Champion of Champions special | |
| 2018-present
|Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing |Self |7 series broadcast |
| 2019
|Self | | |
| 2025
|Self |Series 1 champion | | |
Bibliography
| class="wikitable"
|+ !Year !Title !Type !Ref |
| 2019
|Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing | |
| 2021
|And Away... |Autobiography |
| 2022
|The Satsuma Complex (released as 'The Clementine Complex' in U.S.) |Novel |
| 2024
|The Hotel Avocado |Novel |
Personal life
Mortimer has suffered from rheumatoid arthritis since childhood; he controls it with steroids.{{Cite web |title=Bob Mortimer – my battle with arthritis |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/bbcworldwide/worldwidestories/pressreleases/2002/02_february/radiotimes_bob_mortimer.shtml |website=Radio Times |via=BBC Press Office |access-date= 24 October 2007}}
During his appearance on Desert Island Discs, he revealed that he dealt with crippling shyness until the age of 30, which only began to improve after his initial television success; he also reflected on how his father's early death had shaped his personality, despite not realising how much this event had affected him as a child.{{cite web |title=Nine things we learned from Bob Mortimer's Desert Island Discs |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3b2k5jV6ZD7PVCBp92WBTz8/nine-things-we-learned-from-bob-mortimers-desert-island-discs |website=BBC |access-date=9 June 2020}}
In October 2015, Mortimer underwent triple bypass surgery, which led to the cancellation of the first leg of the Reeves and Mortimer 25 Years tour.{{cite news |author=Press Association |author-link=Press Association |title=Bob Mortimer cancels tour after triple heart bypass operation |url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2015/oct/27/bob-mortimer-cancels-tour-after-triple-heart-bypass-operation |newspaper=The Guardian |date=27 October 2015 |access-date=31 October 2015}} On the day of his hospital admission, he married Lisa Matthews, his girlfriend of 22 years, under a special marriage licence express from London. They have two sons.{{cite web|title=Bob Mortimer "And Away..." |url=https://www.audible.com.au/pd/And-Away-Audiobook/1398505315|website=Audible.com.au|access-date=4 May 2023}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|0607848|Bob Mortimer}}
{{Vic and Bob}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mortimer, Bob}}
Category:Alumni of the University of Leicester
Category:Alumni of the University of Sussex
Category:Comedians from North Yorkshire
Category:English autobiographers
Category:English male comedians
Category:English male television actors
Category:English male voice actors
Category:English television presenters