Bob Mortimer reveals he has ignored doctor’s orders to cut down on his cheese consumption following a triple heart bypass and says he’d ‘rather have three years less’ to live

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Following a serious heart bypass operation, Bob Mortimer was advised to significantly reduce how much cheese he eats.

The 66-year-old comedian and presenter says he’d prefer to risk the consequences rather than stop eating something he loves.

‘The dietitian said, “You can have a matchbox-size [piece] every week,”‘ he explained. 

That was really upsetting to hear. While some people might prefer a longer career, I personally would rather retire a few years earlier.

And don’t bother inviting him to a dinner party. 

“That sounds awful,” he said. “I can’t stand that kind of stuffy, intimidating atmosphere. Nobody I know ever asks me to join them for anything.”

In 2015, Mortimer had bypass surgery after his heart stopped beating for 32 minutes. He later learned that his arteries were 95% blocked.

Last summer, a bout of shingles left him unable to walk while he was filming the BBC show, Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing.

In an April appearance on Mel Giedroyc’s podcast, Where There’s A Will, There’s A Wake, the comedian shared that he’s overcome his fear of death.

You know, I’ve been thinking a lot about life and loss lately, and it’s not the idea of dying that bothers me. It’s the thought of missing out on all the endings! All those books I’ll never finish, TV shows I won’t see the finale of, and just…life unfolding. It’s a real sadness, a frustration at not being able to witness how everything plays out. It’s not fear, it’s a deep longing to know ‘what happens next’.

It’s about the little things – my kids’ stories, what my wife is up to, even the football game. It’s realizing you’ll inevitably miss out on everything happening around you.

Let me tell you, having spoken with Mortimer about his experience, he described a truly profound near-death event. He actually saw that famous light at the end of the tunnel, and he went towards it. What struck me most was how he described the feeling – pure, unadulterated happiness, more intense than anything he’d ever known in his life. It really makes you think, doesn’t it?

It was a truly remarkable experience. Then, surprisingly, I woke up a day later feeling completely fine. I realized I wasn’t afraid of death anymore, and it felt wonderful.

The comedian and his wife, Lisa Matthews, had a secret wedding just thirty minutes before he had heart surgery.

Mortimer scheduled his wedding for the same day as his surgery, after doctors told him he was very sick.

He remembered later telling reporters that he learned he needed heart surgery on a Thursday and promptly made his will the next day.

‘Found out I couldn’t get married to Lisa because you have to give 21 days notice.

My doctor told me I was very sick, and because I don’t live in London, a doctor there allowed me to have my wedding on Monday.

‘I got married at half nine on the Monday then went into hospital for the operation at ten.’

Mortimer has often shared details about his health, including a previous triple heart bypass and his ongoing battle with arthritis.

The comedian revealed in December 2020 that he was afraid of dying from the coronavirus pandemic.

He admitted that during lockdown, he hadn’t exercised at all, had overindulged in food and alcohol, and felt it had likely shortened his lifespan by about two years.

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2025-11-26 12:33