“‘I JUST WANT TO ENJOY WHATEVER TIME I’VE GOT LEFT’ Bob Mortimer Shocked Fans As He Revealed He’s Been Quietly Defying His Doctor’s Strict Orders After Surviving A Triple Heart Bypass, Tears Welling In His Eyes As He Admitted, ‘Sometimes I Just Need To Live, Not Count Every Beat.’ Friends Close To Him Say, ‘Bob Has Fought Against Death And Fear More Times Than Anyone Can Imagine — Now He Refuses To Let Anxiety Or Medical Orders Steal His Moments.’ Social Media Erupted With Fans Saying, ‘He’s Brave Beyond Words… Teaching Us All What It Means To Truly Live,’ And, ‘Bob’s Honesty Hurts And Heals At The Same Time.’ In A Rare, Raw Interview, He Also Confessed, ‘There Are Days I Cry, Days I Laugh, But I Refuse To Let Fear Control My Life — I’m Going To Make Every Second Count.’ This Heart-wrenching, Powerful Revelation Shows The Man Behind The Laughter, The Courage Behind The Smiles, And It’s Shocking, Inspiring, And Unforgettable — A Lesson In Vulnerability And The Urgency To Truly Live.”
Bob Mortimer has made a brutally honest confession about life after his emergency triple heart bypass — and it’s left fans both shocked and strangely moved.
The 66-year-old comedian, who survived a near-fatal cardiac event in 2015 when his heart stopped for 32 minutes, has admitted he’s choosing happiness over strict medical rules, even when those rules could extend his life.
“I’d rather take my chances”
After doctors discovered that 95% of his arteries were blocked, Mortimer was ordered to drastically reduce one of his greatest joys: cheese.
“The dietitian said I could have a matchbox-sized piece a week,” he recalled. “It 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 follow the guidelines adds an unexpected twist to a health journey already packed with battles. Mortimer has previously spoken openly about living with arthritis, and last summer he was unable to walk after contracting shingles while filming his BBC series Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing.
A man forever changed by a brush with death
Speaking on Where There’s A Will, There’s A Wake earlier this year, Mortimer shared how his near-death experience shifted his entire perspective on time and mortality.
“I don’t feel scared about death,” he said. “I just feel frustrated thinking I won’t see how stories end — my children’s, my wife’s, football, everything happening in the world.”
He even described a surreal moment when he felt himself drifting toward “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.’”
A wedding moments before surgery
In one of the most dramatic turns in his story, Mortimer revealed he married his long-time partner Lisa Matthews just 30 minutes before his life-saving operation. Doctors warned him urgently, and by Monday morning, an emergency exemption allowed the couple to wed at 9:30am — with Mortimer entering surgery at 10am.
Lockdown fears and unwavering humour
Mortimer has also spoken candidly about his arthritis and how the 2020 lockdown affected his health:
“I’ve done no exercise, eaten so much, drunk so much booze. Lockdown probably took two years off my life.”
And yet, amid every scare, every diagnosis, every dramatic twist… one thing hasn’t changed: his sharp humour — and his unapologetic devotion to cheese.
