Bob Mortimer 'victim of online dating scam - despite comedian being happily married for years'
Comedian Bob Mortimer has been named as the unwitting victim of an online dating app scam - while happily married.
The 65 year old telly favourite has been spotted on the dating platform Tinder under a different name, claims reports. Bob has been happily wedded to Lisa Matthews since 2015, after enjoying more than 20 years of companionship.
The funnyman, who is one half of comedy duo Vic and Bob, seems to have fallen prey to con artists who have used his details to create a fake dating profile.
In the fraudulent account, poor Bob has been rechristened as 'Kyle', and shockingly his age has been cut down by 15 years. The profile portrays him as a dedicated fitness freak who works out "every day" and owns interests in yoga, meditation, theatre and hopping cafes.
OK! have contacted Bob's reps for comment.
In a possible reference to Bob's popular show Gone Fishing with Paul Whitehouse, the dubious profile mentions that he keeps fish as pets.
Among the pictures featured on the false profile are snapshots of Bob, including one where he's engrossed in watching a football game, first posted on his official Instagram account in March 2023. The Sun notes that among other photos adorned on the false profile, there's one featuring Bob relishing a portion of fish and chips.
Bob confessed last year that 2023 was the "worst ever" for his wellbeing as he battled shingles, in addition to rheumatoid arthritis and heart issues. As part of his health woes, he underwent a triple bypass surgery, during which his heart was stopped for all of 32 minutes.
Bob further revealed that this stressful experience led him to firmly believe in life after death.
Bob revealed: "I did see the light at the end of the tunnel. I experienced going towards the light and feeling happier than I have ever felt, ever. It was quite extraordinary, and then I woke up a day later and I was OK. I thought, 'This is great. I no longer fear death and everything'."
Discussing his 2015 brush with death on Kathy Burke's podcast, he shared: "Loads of people wrote to me and said, 'It's because your body gives out loads of PCT, some chemical to get you through that and it gives you these hallucinations'. I was a bit sad about that."
Bob underwent life-saving surgery after doctors found that 95% of his arteries were clogged, warning him he could have a heart attack during a performance. Realising the severity of his condition, he decided to tie the knot with his partner of 22 years, Lisa Matthews, with whom he shares two children, right before his hospital admission.
The beloved Gone Fishing presenter has since confessed that his recent health scares were "worse than my heart period". Battling rheumatoid arthritis, which had been dormant for three decades before returning last year, he also contracted shingles.
The combination of these ailments led to severe muscle deterioration; he lamented that he's lost up to 80% of the muscle mass in his legs due to the illness, casting doubt on whether he'll be able to run again.
