Bob Mortimer, 65, reveals he was unable to walk for half of the newest series of Gone Fishing and had to use a wheelchair after six month health battle

Bob Mortimer has revealed he was unable to walk for half of the latest series of his Gone Fishing series after contracting shingles.

The seventh season of Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing, which sees Bob and fellow comedian Paul Whitehouse embark on a fishing adventure across the UK, kicked off on Sunday in Rocklands Mere, Norfolk.

But Bob, 65, has admitted filming almost fell through after he suffered from shingles for six months and had to be taken to various locations in a wheelchair.

Shingles is a painful condition caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. Anyone can get it, but it is most common in older people.

“I wasn’t feeling well and that made it a bit of a struggle but as always Paul looked after me and got me through it. I couldn’t walk for half the season so it was quite challenging at times. When we were at Trent I was taken out of a wheelchair to the top of the bench. You never see that but you never see me standing on my feet either,” he said. The Mirror.

Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing follows Bob and fellow comedian Paul Whitehouse (pictured left and right respectively) on a fishing adventure across the UK

“I was just trying to get some muscle back, or get a little stronger. I’m 80% back and by the end of the series I was pretty much alive. The first two episodes are the best Gone Fishing episodes ever made. I love them.

“Paul and I are getting better at it, which sounds like a boast. I think we know what the show is now and what people like, I love this series.”

As in the previous series, Bob is responsible for the food and accommodation. He says his favourite meal this time is hot dogs in a thermos, eaten on the Norfolk waterfront in the first episode.

The BBC2 show originated in 2018 when Paul lured Bob to the riverbank after he underwent triple bypass surgery.

Bob underwent triple bypass surgery in 2015, during which his heart stopped beating for 32 minutes, and he 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 guy,’ and Bob added: ‘I’m looking forward to visiting old places from my youth because for this series Paul and I are going back in time and fishing in places that have shaped our lives.

BBC Editor Patrick McMahon said: ‘We’re so pleased to welcome Paul and Bob back for another slice of fishing, friendship and riverbank philosophy.

“It’s always a pleasure to follow their adventures and spend time with them. This series promises to be the most personal and enjoyable yet.”

As they wait for the fish to bite in some of the most picturesque landscapes, the lifelong friends share personal and hilarious stories, from romantic encounters to health scares

“It’s always a pleasure to follow their adventures and spend time with them. This series promises to be the most personal and enjoyable yet.”

Executive producer Lisa Clark added: ‘I’m so pleased we can continue to showcase our beautiful country, along with Paul, Bob and of course Ted.

There is so much more to discover for both man and beast. Ted can roll through it and Bob can fall over it, while Paul calmly concentrates on fishing.

In December, Bob said he was “terribly” afraid he would never run again after the “worst year of health” of his life.

The comedian, who struggles with rheumatoid arthritis, was told by doctors that he had lost 20% of his muscle function after contracting shingles.

“It was honestly the worst year of my life health-wise. It was worse than my heart, period,” he said earlier in the show.

‘Right now the specialist says I’m on my way to 80% recovery of the muscles in my leg and she said, ‘You’ll have to wait and see for yourself.’

‘The muscles I lost, I lost… But others can compensate for that, you know what I mean?

“I can strengthen the other muscles, but I have this awful feeling that I’ll never be able to run again. And you know, I used to love running, Paul.”

Bob has been open about his health in the past, speaking candidly about his triple heart surgery and battle with arthritis.

In December 2020, Bob admitted that he feared the coronavirus pandemic would shorten his life by two years.

He admitted he had given up his healthy lifestyle during lockdown, saying: ‘I didn’t exercise, I ate so much, drank so much. Lockdown has probably taken two years off my life.’

The comedian previously opened up about his battle with rheumatoid arthritis.

Bob said, “I got rheumatoid arthritis in my mid-20s. I woke up and it was like, ‘Bang.’

‘I’ve been off it since I was 34 and it came back 10 days ago. It’s really sad for me to know if it’s going to go away. Yes, I may be fat, but I’m actually on steroids.

‘By the time I was 60, I was already disabled and I didn’t want anything else to happen. But it takes until you’re 60 to realize all the things you could have done.’

The seventh season of Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing airs every Sunday at 9pm on BBC2 and BBC iPlayer.