Bob Mortimer has built one of the most distinctive careers in British comedy. From working as a solicitor to becoming one half of the legendary Vic and Bob partnership, his career has taken in surreal television, panel shows, podcasting, acting, fishing and bestselling books.
For many viewers, Mortimer is now best known for his wonderfully unpredictable appearances on Would I Lie to You? and Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing. Others know him from Vic Reeves Big Night Out, Shooting Stars, Catterick or House of Fools.
He has also become a successful author. His memoir And Away… was followed by the novels The Satsuma Complex and The Hotel Avocado, while his latest book, The Long Shoe, adds another chapter to his writing career.
So, who is Bob Mortimer, how old is he, who is his wife, how many children does he have, and what are his books in order? Here is a detailed look at his life and career.
Who is Bob Mortimer?
Bob Mortimer is an English comedian, actor, writer and broadcaster from Middlesbrough. He was born Robert Renwick Mortimer on 23 May 1959, making him 67 years old in 2026.
Before entering comedy, Mortimer trained and worked as a solicitor. His route into entertainment was largely accidental. A chance encounter with comedian Jim Moir, better known as Vic Reeves, in the 1980s changed the direction of his life.
The pair developed a highly unconventional comedy partnership that became known as Vic and Bob. Their work helped establish a distinctive style of surreal British comedy that mixed absurd characters, deliberately chaotic sketches, strange songs and unpredictable improvisation.
Mortimer’s official publisher biography describes the meeting with Vic Reeves as the turning point that led from his legal career into comedy.
How old is Bob Mortimer?
Bob Mortimer was born on 23 May 1959 in Middlesbrough.
As of September 2026, he is 67 years old.
His age has become part of the appeal of some of his later work. Rather than hiding the realities of getting older, Mortimer has frequently incorporated friendship, ageing and life’s uncertainties into his comedy.
His fishing partnership with Paul Whitehouse is particularly notable in this respect, combining humour with conversations about friendship, mortality and the changes that come with getting older.
Who is Bob Mortimer’s wife?
Bob Mortimer is married to Lisa Matthews.
The couple had been together for many years before marrying in October 2015. Their wedding took place in extraordinary circumstances because Mortimer was about to undergo major heart surgery.
According to reports, Mortimer and Matthews had been partners for 22 years when he was diagnosed with a serious heart condition requiring a triple bypass. He married Lisa shortly before the operation.
Mortimer has spoken warmly about their relationship. In a 2021 interview, he described shared interests, including watching television, walking and gardening, as part of what made their relationship work.
Does Bob Mortimer have children?
Yes. Bob Mortimer has two sons, Harry and Tom.
Mortimer is one of four brothers himself, and family has often featured in stories about his upbringing and later life.
His sons have generally remained outside the celebrity spotlight. Mortimer has occasionally spoken about them, including their shared interest in football. In an interview with The Guardian, he mentioned attending Middlesbrough matches with his two sons.
His family life is also important to understanding the more personal side of his memoir And Away…, which moves beyond comedy to discuss childhood, relationships, career and major turning points in his life.
Bob Mortimer and Vic Reeves
The professional relationship between Bob Mortimer and Vic Reeves is one of the defining partnerships in modern British comedy.
Mortimer met Jim Moir, who performed as Vic Reeves, in the 1980s. The pair quickly developed a creative relationship based on surreal humour and an apparent willingness to ignore conventional comedy rules.
Their partnership produced several influential programmes and characters.
Vic Reeves Big Night Out
Vic Reeves Big Night Out was an early breakthrough for the pair. What began as an unusual live comedy act eventually moved to television and helped introduce their surreal style to a much larger audience.
The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer
The duo followed their early success with The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer, another television series built around sketches, characters and deliberately bizarre humour.
Shooting Stars
One of their most recognisable television creations was Shooting Stars, the surreal celebrity panel show.
Mortimer and Reeves presented the programme together, turning the conventional quiz format into something much stranger. The show ran for multiple series and became a cult favourite. IMDb credits Mortimer as a writer on numerous episodes of Shooting Stars.
Catterick
The pair also created and starred in Catterick, a comedy series that combined an unusual road-trip-style story with their trademark absurdity.
House of Fools
Years later, Mortimer and Reeves worked together again on House of Fools. Mortimer and Reeves were both writers and stars of the BBC series, which also featured Matt Berry.
Their partnership has lasted for decades, making Bob Mortimer and Vic Reeves one of Britain’s most enduring comedy double acts.
Bob Mortimer and Would I Lie to You?
For a newer generation of viewers, Would I Lie to You? has arguably become one of Bob Mortimer’s most recognisable television appearances.
The BBC comedy panel show, hosted by Rob Brydon with team captains David Mitchell and Lee Mack, asks celebrities to present statements about themselves while the opposing team tries to determine whether they are true or false.
Mortimer is particularly well suited to the format because his real-life experiences can sound completely invented.
His appearances have included stories involving unusual childhood incidents, strange possessions, bizarre personal habits and increasingly improbable situations. The official Would I Lie to You? YouTube channel has even compiled some of his most memorable claims, including stories involving apples, dentistry, a didgeridoo and an egg-related bathing ritual.
Bob Mortimer’s Would I Lie to You? episodes
Mortimer first appeared on the programme in Series 6, Episode 6, broadcast in 2012. He has subsequently returned many times.
His appearances include:
- Series 6, Episode 6 — 2012
- Series 7, Episode 6 — 2013
- Series 8, Episode 3 — 2014
- Series 9, Episode 2 — 2015
- Series 10, Episode 2 — 2016
- Series 11, Episode 4 — 2017
- Series 12, Episode 1 — 2018
- Series 13, Episode 5 — 2019
- Series 14, Episode 4 — 2021
- Series 15, Episode 2 — 2022
- Series 16, Episode 6 — 2023
- Series 18, Episode 9 — 2025
- Series 19, Episode 2 — 2026
Episode databases currently list his most recent appearance as Series 19, Episode 2, which aired on 9 January 2026.
His Would I Lie to You? appearances have become so popular that clips featuring Mortimer continue to circulate widely online.
Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse
Bob Mortimer’s partnership with Paul Whitehouse is very different from his work with Vic Reeves.
Where Vic and Bob specialise in surreal double-act comedy, Mortimer and Whitehouse developed a more relaxed friendship-based format through fishing.
The result was Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing.
Whitehouse and Mortimer had known each other for decades, but fishing gave them a reason to spend time together away from the traditional comedy environment. The programme began in 2018 and became an unexpected success.
The concept is simple: two friends go fishing in beautiful parts of Britain while talking about life, food, friendship, ageing and whatever happens to come up.
That simplicity is part of its appeal.
Bob Mortimer and fishing
Although fishing became closely associated with Mortimer, he was not initially the experienced angler in the partnership.
Paul Whitehouse was the more experienced fisherman, while Mortimer approached the activity with comparatively less expertise. Their contrasting personalities became a central part of Gone Fishing.
The series also became more meaningful because of the men’s experiences with heart disease.
Mortimer underwent a triple bypass in 2015, while Whitehouse had undergone treatment for heart problems himself. Their fishing trips therefore became about more than catching fish. They also provided a setting for two friends to spend time together and reflect on life.
The BBC Programme Index records episodes featuring the pair fishing for species including carp, barbel, trout, salmon and perch in locations across Britain and Ireland.
Bob Mortimer’s books
Mortimer has established himself as a successful author as well as a television comedian.
His writing career includes memoir, fiction and books connected with his fishing work.
Bob Mortimer books in order
For readers looking for Bob Mortimer books in order, a useful publication sequence is:
| Year | Book | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing | Fishing/comedy memoir |
| 2021 | And Away… | Autobiography |
| 2022 | The Satsuma Complex | Novel |
| 2024 | The Hotel Avocado | Novel |
| 2025 | Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing | Fishing memoir |
| 2026 | The Long Shoe | Novel |
The list includes books published under Mortimer’s name as well as his collaborative Gone Fishing titles.
1. And Away…
And Away… is Bob Mortimer’s autobiography and one of his most important books.
Published in 2021, it looks at his childhood in Middlesbrough, his early life, his career as a solicitor, his meeting with Vic Reeves and his transformation into a television comedian.
It also explores his heart problems and the events that caused him to reconsider his approach to life and work.
The book became a bestseller and was named the Times and Sunday Times Humour Book of the Year, according to its publisher.
For anyone interested in Bob Mortimer beyond his television appearances, And Away… is the obvious starting point.
2. The Satsuma Complex
The Satsuma Complex was published in 2022 and marked Mortimer’s move into fiction.
The novel follows Gary Thorn, a relatively ordinary legal assistant whose life becomes increasingly complicated after a meeting in a pub and the disappearance of an acquaintance.
It combines mystery, romance, crime and Mortimer’s trademark surreal humour.
The novel won the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction in 2023.
3. The Hotel Avocado
The Hotel Avocado followed in 2024.
It continues the story of Gary Thorn from The Satsuma Complex. Gary faces a difficult decision involving London, Brighton, his girlfriend Emily and the titular hotel, while events around him become increasingly dangerous.
The book became a Sunday Times number-one bestseller, according to Simon & Schuster UK.
4. The Long Shoe
The Long Shoe is Mortimer’s 2026 novel.
Published by Gallery UK in May 2026, it follows Matt, a bathroom salesman whose life has fallen apart after losing his job, facing homelessness and losing his relationship.
An unexpected job offer appears to give him an opportunity to rebuild his life, but the situation soon becomes much stranger.
This book demonstrates that Mortimer’s writing career has developed well beyond autobiography and television tie-ins.
Bob Mortimer audiobook
Bob Mortimer’s books are also available in audiobook formats.
And Away… has an audiobook edition read by Mortimer himself. The Simon & Schuster edition has a runtime of approximately 7 hours and 59 minutes.
Audiobooks are particularly appropriate for Mortimer’s memoir because his comic timing and storytelling style are an important part of his appeal.
The Hotel Avocado also has an unabridged audio edition featuring Mortimer alongside Sally Phillips, Julie Maisey and Paul Whitehouse.
Bob Mortimer as an author
Calling Mortimer simply a comedian understates the breadth of his work.
His career as an author shows a different side of his creativity. And Away… demonstrates his ability to tell a personal story, while The Satsuma Complex, The Hotel Avocado and The Long Shoe show that his surreal humour can work within conventional fictional narratives.
His publisher currently lists four main Bob Mortimer books for sale through Simon & Schuster UK, including The Long Shoe, The Hotel Avocado, The Satsuma Complex and And Away….
What is Bob Mortimer’s net worth?
Estimates of Bob Mortimer’s net worth vary because his private financial information is not publicly disclosed.
Celebrity Net Worth currently estimates his wealth at around $10 million, but this should be treated as an unofficial estimate rather than a confirmed figure.
His income has come from a wide range of work over several decades, including television, writing, acting, producing, live comedy and other entertainment projects.
Because there is no publicly verified statement from Mortimer giving a precise personal net worth, it is better to describe figures found online as estimates rather than established facts.
Bob Mortimer’s career before comedy
One of the more interesting things about Mortimer’s story is that comedy was not originally his obvious career path.
He trained as a solicitor and worked in law before his meeting with Vic Reeves redirected his life.
That background has remained part of his public persona. His legal career frequently appears in stories about his early life, and the protagonist of The Satsuma Complex, Gary Thorn, also works in the legal world.
Mortimer’s transition from solicitor to comedian is therefore more than a curious footnote. It is one of the central themes of his personal story.
Bob Mortimer’s health and career
Mortimer’s heart surgery in 2015 became a major turning point.
He had been preparing for a tour with Vic Reeves when doctors discovered that he needed urgent heart surgery. The planned tour was cancelled while he recovered.
Mortimer later described the experience as changing his attitude towards opportunities. Rather than automatically finding reasons to reject new projects, he became more willing to say yes.
That change helped lead to several important projects, including Would I Lie to You?, Gone Fishing and other television work.
In that sense, one of the most difficult periods of his life also became a major turning point in his career.
Why is Bob Mortimer so popular?
Mortimer’s appeal comes from the gap between his understated appearance and the sheer absurdity of his stories.
He rarely needs an elaborate setup. A simple statement delivered completely seriously can become a comic masterpiece because viewers know there is a genuine possibility that it might be true.
That quality works particularly well on Would I Lie to You?, where the audience is effectively playing the same guessing game as the panellists.
His long friendship with Vic Reeves and later partnership with Paul Whitehouse also show two very different sides of his personality: surreal, chaotic comedy on one hand and relaxed, conversational humour on the other.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Bob Mortimer?
Bob Mortimer was born on 23 May 1959, so he is 67 years old in 2026.
Who is Bob Mortimer’s wife?
Bob Mortimer’s wife is Lisa Matthews. They married in October 2015 after being partners for many years.
How many children does Bob Mortimer have?
Bob Mortimer has two sons, Harry and Tom.
Is Bob Mortimer still friends with Vic Reeves?
Yes. Mortimer and Vic Reeves, whose real name is Jim Moir, have maintained a long-running friendship and professional partnership spanning decades. They have continued to work together on projects including Shooting Stars, House of Fools and Vic & Bob’s Big Night Out.
What is Bob Mortimer’s most famous show?
There is no single answer, but Shooting Stars, Vic Reeves Big Night Out, Would I Lie to You? and Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing are among the programmes most strongly associated with his career.
What is Bob Mortimer’s autobiography called?
His autobiography is called And Away…, published in 2021. It became the bestselling memoir of the year and won the Times and Sunday Times Humour Book of the Year.
What are Bob Mortimer’s books in order?
For his principal solo books, the publication order is And Away… (2021), The Satsuma Complex (2022), The Hotel Avocado (2024) and The Long Shoe (2026). He has also co-written Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing with Paul Whitehouse.
Does Bob Mortimer really fish?
Yes. Fishing became a major part of his later career through Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing. The series follows Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse as they fish in different parts of Britain and discuss life, friendship and ageing.
What is Bob Mortimer’s net worth?
Some celebrity-wealth websites estimate his net worth at around $10 million, but there is no publicly verified figure from Mortimer himself. Such estimates should therefore be treated cautiously.
Final thoughts
Bob Mortimer’s career is unusual because it has never followed a straightforward path. He trained as a solicitor, accidentally entered comedy after meeting Vic Reeves, became one of Britain’s best-known comedy writers and performers, reinvented himself through panel shows and fishing programmes, and then developed a successful second career as an author.
His appeal also comes from authenticity. The same man who can deliver an outrageous story on Would I Lie to You? can sit quietly beside Paul Whitehouse on a riverbank and talk about friendship, food, fishing and getting older.
From Vic and Bob to Would I Lie to You?, from Gone Fishing to And Away…, Bob Mortimer has created a body of work that is unmistakably his own. And with The Long Shoe published in 2026, his story as an author is still developing.
