TV comedian tells of heart risk warning

Comedian Bob Mortimer has revealed a doctor told him that he risked having a heart attack on stage had he and comedy partner Vic Reeves gone ahead with a live tour in 2015.

Mortimer, 59, has discussed the triple heart bypass he underwent after it was discovered that “95%” of his arteries were blocked.

The Shooting Stars host was due to embark on the first leg of his and Reeves’ (real name Jim Moir) 25th anniversary tour. The duo had to cancel the dates so that Mortimer could recover from the operation.

Speaking about his health scare during an interview with The Big Issue, Mortimer said: “My doctor told me that I would have had a heart attack on stage. He looked at my tour schedule and said I would most likely have gone down in Southampton.

“When I came home from being told I had to have heart surgery, it feels so dramatic. You think it is over.

“Heart surgery just sounds ... it was weird, the things that would make me cry were my favourite egg cup and my cats.”

In January Mortimer revealed that he married his partner of 22 years half an hour before going under the knife.

While he was recovering, Mortimer was invited by friend and fellow comedian Paul Whitehouse to go on a fishing trip to help with his recuperation.

They have since made Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing, a series which starts on Wednesday on BBC2 and sees them travel to popular fishing spots.

Picture: PA. Bob Mortimer had triple heart bypass surgery.