Bob Mortimer has revealed a startling truth about his post-surgery lifestyle, admitting he’s chosen pleasure over strict medical advice even after surviving an emergency triple heart bypass.
The 66-year-old comedian confessed that despite doctors warning him to drastically reduce his cheese intake, he simply can’t let go of one of his favourite indulgences.
“The dietitian said I could have a matchbox-size piece each week,” he recalled. “That broke my heart. Some people probably stick to it, but I think I’m in the group who’d rather have three years less.”
His refusal to give up cheese adds a surprising twist to a long and complicated health journey. Mortimer underwent bypass surgery back in 2015, after his heart stopped for 32 minutes — and later learned that 95% of his arteries had been blocked.
The star also joked that attending dinner parties is out of the question. “Sounds like torture. I hate that sort of formal fear. The people I know don’t invite me to anything.”
His ongoing health challenges have been well-documented. Last summer, while filming Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing, he was left unable to walk after contracting shingles.
Speaking on Mel Giedroyc’s Where There’s A Will, There’s A Wake podcast in April, Mortimer opened up about how his near-death experience has changed his outlook.
“I don’t feel scared about death,” he said. “I just feel frustrated thinking I won’t see how stories end — my children’s stories, my wife’s, football, everything that’s happening in the world.”
He described his surreal moment on the edge of life:
“I did see the light at the end of the tunnel. I was going towards it, feeling happier than I’ve ever felt. It was extraordinary. Then I woke up the next day and I was OK. I thought, ‘This is great, I no longer fear death.’”
Mortimer secretly married his long-time partner Lisa Matthews just 30 minutes before his heart surgery after doctors warned him about the severity of his condition.
“We found out on Thursday that I needed surgery, so I made a will on Friday,” he said. Though they were told they couldn’t marry because they hadn’t given 21 days’ notice, an emergency exemption was granted. “We got married at half nine on Monday and I went into hospital for the operation at ten.”
He has also spoken openly about his arthritis and fears during the 2020 pandemic. “I’ve done no exercise, eaten so much, drunk so much booze,” he admitted. “Lockdown probably took two years off my life.”
Despite everything, Mortimer maintains his dry humour — and his unwavering love for cheese.
