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.













Max George, 37, has revealed that he is back in hospital due to an ‘issue’ following major heart surgery in a clip shared to Instagram on Friday
The Wanted singer was fitted with a pacemaker in December 2024 after his mum Babs realised he had ‘turned blue’ and insisted he should go to A&E
He later had a second procedure to fix a misplaced wire. But now he has revealed that he has had to go back to the hospital for a scan
Pictured: Fearne Cotton, 43, and TV director Elliot Hegarty, 53, in South West London
Fearne adorned a casual purple and orange patterned cardigan and casual blue jeans while Hegarty was seen in a blue two piece accompanied with sunglasses
The loved up pair were pictured with their arms around each other as they took a romantic stroll through the streets of Richmond
Fearne and Elliot were seen packing on the PDA as they held hands while on their walk
The couple were all smiles as Hegarty sported his new fresh peroxide blond makeover to match Ferne
Ferne was seen carrying a stylish cross-body bag engraved with the words FC, with the pair both adorning casual trainers






Charlie once admitted she had ‘no regrets’ over an affair (Credit: BBC)



