Bob Mortimer Biography
Robert Renwick Mortimer, an English comedian, novelist, television host, and actor, was born on May 23, 1959. He is well-known for his work with Vic Reeves in the Vic and Bob double act and, more recently, with Paul Whitehouse in the Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing series. Additionally, he has made appearances on panel series like Taskmaster and Would I Lie to You.
Bob Mortimer Early life
Theodore Renwick Mortimer was born in Middlesbrough on May 23, 1959 and raised in the Linthorpe neighborhood of the city with his three brothers. When Mortimer was seven years old, his biscuit salesman father was killed in a vehicle accident. Around the same time, Mortimer unintentionally set fire to the house of his family with a dropped firecracker. He went to King’s Manor School in Middlesbrough, where future sportscaster Ali Brownlee was one of his classmates. He was an avid football enthusiast who participated in trials for the local team Middlesbrough FC but gave up his dream of playing because of early-onset arthritis.
Mortimer graduated from high school with three A-Levels and went on to study law at the Universities of Leicester and Sussex. There, he got interested in politics and the punk scene and formed the band Dog Dirt. After graduating from college with an LLM in Welfare Law, he relocated to London and started working for Southwark Council as a solicitor. He afterwards relocated to a private business in Peckham, where he became known as “The Cockroach King” after working on Public Health Act issues involving cockroach infestations in council buildings. He was robbed during this time by one of his clients, who recognized him and stopped to apologize; he continued to represent the client.
Bob Mortimer Net Worth
The estimated $7 million net worth of Bob Mortimer.
He has become wealthy thanks to his lucrative comedy career.
Bob Mortimer Career
Partnership with Vic Reeves
In 1986, Mortimer saw a new performance by the comedian Vic Reeves at the Goldsmith’s Tavern in New Cross, London. Mortimer was impressed by the show, especially the tap dancing effort by Reeves as Tappy Lappy while donning a Bryan Ferry mask and boards for feet. After the show, Mortimer approached Reeves, and the two started brainstorming ideas for the following week’s show. They established a band called the Potter’s Wheel and became close friends as well. Mortimer started appearing on the Vic Reeves Big Night Out television program, inventing characters including the Singing Lawyer, Graham Lister, Judge Nutmeg, and the Man With the Stick.
The play gained popularity in South London and finally overflowed Goldsmith’s Tavern, relocating there in 1988. Mortimer quickly became an essential component of the show, giving him a weekly reprieve from his legal profession, which had started to bore him.
The game show segment known as “Knock down ginger” from the 1989 comic chat show One Hour with Jonathan Ross was Reeves and Mortimer’s television debut. Later that year, the team produced Vic Reeves Big Night Out, their first joint television pilot. The variety show format of the nightclub act was maintained in the television program. To record the series, Mortimer took a 10-week leave of absence from his legal employment; he then abandoned it.
Later, in 1992, the two produced a one-off pilot for the sitcom The Weekenders. They then produced the sketch show The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer in 1993 and the comic panel show Shooting Stars, which debuted in December 1993. Shooting Stars was commissioned in 1995 and lasted for five seasons between 1995 and 2002. In December 2008, a special anniversary edition was shown. The sixth season debuted in late 2009, the seventh in the middle of 2010, and the eighth in 2011.
Reeves and Mortimer made an appearance in Bang Bang, It’s Reeves and Mortimer, a second sketch program in 1999. In the following year’s Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased), Mortimer played Jeff Randall opposite Keanu Reeves as Marty Hopkirk and Emilia Fox as Jeannie Hurst.
The Observer named Mortimer and Reeves as one of the 50 funniest performers in British comedy in 2003. The pair came in at number nine on the list of all-time greatest comedy acts in a 2005 poll to identify the Comedians’ Comedian.
2004 saw the release of Catterick, a six-episode surreal comedy written and starring Mortimer and Reeves about an ex-soldier named Carl who returns home after serving in Cyprus to join his brother Chris, who has volunteered to assist Carl in finding his son. Reece Shearsmith, Matt Lucas, Morwenna Banks, Tim Healy, Mark Benton, and Charlie Higson were among the cast members.
Vic Reeves’ House Arrest, a weekly radio sketch show on BBC Radio 2, featured Mortimer as Reeves’ hairdresser on November 17, 2007.
Reeves and Mortimer shared on February 27, 2008 that they were developing a new sitcom about superheroes who gain their superpowers from a broken telegraph pole.
House of Fools, a new BBC sitcom with Reeves and Mortimer as well as Matt Berry (as Beef), Morgana Robinson (as Julie), and Dan Skinner (as Bosh), began filming episodes in November 2013.
After Mortimer underwent an emergency triple heart bypass in October 2015, the duo decided to cancel the first leg of their live tour, 25 Year of Reeves and Mortimer: The Poignant Moments.
On December 29, 2017, the BBC broadcast a brand-new, standalone episode of Mortimer and Reeves’ comedy Big Night Out. The program has undergone a makeover and been renamed Vic and Bob’s Big Night Out. The program, which followed the traditional Big Night Out format, featured a variety of comedic songs, skits, characters, and sketches. Mortimer’s name appeared in the series’ title for the first time with Big Night Out. In November 2018, Vic and Bob’s Big Night Out debuted on BBC Four for its entire season.
Solo career and appearances
In 1997, Mortimer and Chris Rea collaborated to record Rea’s popular song “Let’s Dance” with Middlesbrough, his preferred football team. In the UK Singles Chart, the song peaked at number 44.
Mortimer made an appearance in an episode of Mash and Peas in 1996–1997 to perform in the Seinfeld parody sketch I’m Bland… yet all my friends are krazy! with Matt Lucas, David Walliams, and Reece Shearsmith.
The computer-animated bulldog in Churchill Insurance commercials was voiced by Mortimer. It’s thought that Churchill’s catchphrase, “Oh, yes!” was a parody of Potter the Janitor, a character from the 1970s television show Please Sir! performed by Deryck Guyler. In earlier commercials, Mortimer’s voice would answer Vic Reeves’ comedic partner’s queries. Reeves was, however, dropped from the advertisements in April 2005 after being found guilty of drunk driving.
As part of Sport Relief 2002, Mortimer faced up against Les Dennis in the BBC’s first Celebrity Boxing fight, winning.
The 100 Greatest World Cup Moments of All Time, a list show on Channel 4, was hosted by Mortimer in 2002. In 2010, to coincide with the FIFA World Cup, the channel aired an upgraded show, once again presented by Mortimer.
A year later, Mortimer produced and hosted the second match, The Fight, which pitted Grant Bovey against Ricky Gervais.
Without Reeves, Mortimer hosted 29 Minutes of Fame, a comic panel game for BBC One, in 2005. Regular guests on the show included Jo Brand.
Mortimer provided the Father Nicholas voiceover in the BBC Three animated series Popetown, which aired in 2005. For fear of offending Catholic viewers, the channel decided not to air the program, but it was later released on DVD.
The BBC Three sketch comedy Tittybangbang was co-written by Mortimer and Jill Parker. Between 2006 and 2007, the show, which starred Lucy Montgomery, Debbie Chazen, and Tony Way, aired three seasons.
Mortimer had four appearances on BBC Two’s Never Mind the Buzzcocks: as a member of Sean Hughes’ team in 1996; Phill Jupitus’ team in 2000; a guest team captain in 2008; and a guest host in 2012.
Mortimer participated on Andrew Flintoff’s squad in the April 2010 episode of the Sky1 panel show A League of Their Own.
Since 2012, Mortimer has participated as a guest panelist on Would I Lie to You? on BBC1, appearing in eleven episodes through the 2022 season. Later, he said that his appearances on this program had garnered him more attention than any of his earlier work.
Mortimer made an appearance on a Ross Noble Freewheeling program in November 2013.
Mortimer portrayed Frank in the E4 comedy Drifters in 2013.
Mortimer made an appearance in an edition of the Dave program Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled on June 18, 2014.
He competed in Let’s Play Darts on March 4, 2015, but Roisin Conaty defeated him.
He shared the screen with Vic Reeves in an episode of Celebrity Squares in 2015.
Mortimer succeeded the late Rik Mayall as Bombardier Bedford, the mascot for Wells Bombardier Beer, in April 2015.
With Andy Dawson, Mortimer has co-written and hosted the Athletico Mince comedy podcast on a regular basis since March 2016.
Mortimer has made multiple appearances on the Sky1 comedy panel game Duck Quacks Don’t Echo, which is hosted by Lee Mack, the captain of his usual Would I Lie to You? team.
Mortimer faced out against Aisling Bea, Sally Phillips, Nish Kumar, and Mark Watson in Taskmaster’s fifth series in 2017 and prevailed. He next competed in the Taskmaster: Champion of Champions series against Rob Beckett, Katherine Ryan, Noel Fielding, Josh Widdicombe, and Noel Fielding, finishing last.
In the six-part comedy series Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing on BBC2, which aired in June and July 2018, Mortimer collaborated with his old friend and fellow comic, Paul Whitehouse. The two buddies, who both had heart problems, talked about their ideas and experiences while fishing in different parts of the UK. The show has broadcast five seasons so far; the fourth season and a Christmas special debuted in 2020 and 2021, respectively.
Mortimer made an appearance on the BBC Radio show Desert Island Discs on February 3, 2019.
Mortimer published his autobiography titled And Away in September 2021.
Comic book The Satsuma Complex, written by Mortimer, was released in 2022. Mortimer and Sally Phillips narrated an audiobook that was made available.
Bob Mortimer Personal life
Since he was young, Mortimer has had rheumatoid arthritis, which exacerbates his suffering when he is anxious, especially before filming a television series or starting a tour. On those occasions, he uses steroids to suppress it.
The first leg of the Reeves and Mortimer 25 Years tour was canceled as a result of Mortimer having triple bypass surgery in October 2015. He wed Lisa Matthews, his fiancée of 22 years, on the day of his hospital admittance using a special marriage license sent to him from London. Harry and Tom are the names of their two boys.
Mortimer has always been a fan of both the rock group Free and his native football team Middlesbrough FC. He discussed how his father’s premature death had shaped his personality while appearing on Desert Island Discs. He didn’t realize how much this event had affected him as a child, but it had a significant impact on him as an adult. He revealed that he struggled with crippling shyness until the age of 30, which only started to get better after his initial television success.
Bob Mortimer Social Media
- Instagram handle: @Realbobmortimer
- Twitter handle: @Realbobmortimer
Bob Mortimer Filmography
- The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer
- Shooting Stars
- The Big Night Out
- Vic Reeves Big Night Out
- Would I Lie to You?
- Taskmaster
Bob Mortimer Trivia
In October 2015, he married Lisa Matthews, his companion of 22 years, 30 minutes before having a triple heart bypass surgery after learning about the need for the procedure just five days previously. In order to evade the customary requirement of giving 21 days’ notice of marriage, he sought special permission from the registrar, supported by a certificate from his doctor stating that he was “incredibly ill”.
worked as a lawyer prior to pursuing comedy.
can use his bare hands to split an apple in half.
is a devoted supporter of Middlesbrough F.C. A version of Chris Rea’s “Let’s Dance” with the squad was just published after they once auditioned for their youth team.
Since he bites his fingernails, he frequently uses a hand duplicate in close-up shots.
Since the beginning of the 2000s, has done some of his own dentistry out of need. Fillings, crown replacement, and bridge repair are among the procedures mentioned, but implants and root canals are not, and he has not yet been asked to do an extraction.
After an accidental encounter with a local brewer in the middle of the 2010s, was involved in the manufacture of many regional award-winning beers. The award-winning beers were Not Now Madam! (lager), Retail Park (stout), and Kiss the Alderman (India Pale Ale, or IPA).
Rheumatoid arthritis is a problem for him, but steroids help him manage it.
a Middlesbrough resident who, when he was seven years old, unintentionally set his house on fire. No one was hurt, but the house could not be spared without being totally rebuilt because of the water damage brought on by the need to put out the fire.
Harry and Thomas are two kids.
His bestseller “The Satsuma Complex” has been retitled “The Clementine Complex” for American readers.
is a devoted follower of the band “Free.”
teamed up with Jm Reeves in 1986 after jokingly joining him on stage at London’s Goldsmths Tavern.
How many children does Bob Mortimer have?
Harry and Tom are the names of their two boys. Mortimer has always been a fan of both the rock group Free and his native football team Middlesbrough FC.
What was Bob Mortimer illness?
Gone Fishing follows the two comedians as they go fishing on several occasions in the UK and talk about their individual heart conditions. After receiving a coronary heart disease diagnosis in 2015, Mortimer underwent triple heart bypass surgery.
When did Bob Mortimer have heart?
In 2015, the comedian Bob Mortimer underwent triple cardiac bypass surgery. The comedian underwent emergency surgery after doctors found that his arteries were over 90% clogged.
