Bob Mortimer has told how fishing with Paul Whitehouse helped him recover from a heart operation.
The 59-year-old comedian thought he was "a goner" after he underwent a triple bypass in 2015, which led to him suffering from anxiety, but his ‘Fast Show’ pal came to his aid by taking him fishing.
He said: "It’s been spectacular in terms of my mental health and my well-being.
"When I was sat at home after I had my operation, the first few nights I was really, really frightened. You are very aware of any little movement in your heart and you think you’re a goner."
The 59-year-old star – who was so frightened before he went under the knife that he married his partner Lisa Matthews half an hour beforehand – and Paul have now created BBC Two show ‘Gone Fishing’ based on their riverside chats.
He told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "I had a new drive to do something with my life after a brush with mortality but I didn’t quite know what it might be."
Paul, 60, admitted he and Bob liked the idea of the show because they were able to "behave like children" while trying to catch some dinner.
He told the Northern Echo newspaper: "We thought it was quite a humorous idea, these two old idiots, really, behaving like children."
Bob recently expressed an interest to enter the ‘I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!’ jungle.
He said: "I get tempted to do a reality show because I enjoy them so much.
"The jungle? I haven’t had a call yet."
Should he ever star on the show Down Under, he fancies his chances of lasting longer than his comedy partner Vic Reeves.
He added: "I watched Jim [Vic’s real name]. God that was tough.
"Jim’s very shy, so quite awkward when you meet him but when you’re on telly it’s not shyness it’s being stand-offish.
"He went into the jungle and I was like, ‘Oh, Jim, go and say hello!’ But Jim’s Jim."
Bob Mortimer’s says fishing with Paul Whitehouse helped him overcome anxiety
