If you’ve ever watched Would I Lie To You? then you’ll know that Bob Mortimer is a man of mystery. You may have seen his face on TikYok, where he can be seen singing an outraegous song or chatting to ‘Col’. So much of what he says sounds too bizarre to be true, so I’m here to set the record straight. Keep reading to find out more about Bob Mortimer, beloved British comedian, and how much he’s really worth.
Who is Bob Mortimer?
Born in Middlesborough in 1959, Robert Renwick Mortimer (A.K.A Bob) had a fairly normal upbringing. He lived with his parents and three brothers until his father unfortunately died in a car crash when he was seven years old. Not long after this, Bob accidentally burned down his family’s home with a firework – and so the chaos of his character began.
Surprisingly, Bob did well in school. He left with three A Levels and carried on his studies at university, choosing to study law. This may have been because his early career aspiration, becoming a footballer, was squashed by the revelation that he had early on-set arthritis. At university, Bob Mortimer chose to become a punk, and even started a band – called Dog Dirt. He then graduated with a Masters degree in Welfare Law. After this, he moved to Peckham to open a private practice. Eventually he became known as the “Cockroach King” after his work with the Public Health Act resulted in local papers detailing his cases of cockroach infestations in council properties.
Bob Mortimer’s comedy career
One night in 1986, Bob travelled to the Goldsmiths Tavern in New Cross to watch a new show by the comedian Vic Reeves. He was very impressed with the performance, and approached Vic after the show. They both began writing material for the next week’s show together and soon became fast friends. Bob began to perform on the show alongside Vic, and it became so successful that it moved to Deptford. Becoming jaded with his legal career, Bob enjoyed becoming such an integral part of the show and welcomed the break from his ‘real’ job.
In 1989, the duo broke onto television screens when they were invited onto Jonathan Ross’s comedy chat show. Later that year, they made their first television pilot together – Vic Reeves Big Night Out. In order to record the series, Bob Mortimer had to take a 10-week break from his legal job. He happily did this, and never returned.
From 1992 the comedy pair flourished on television set across the nation for years. They created and starred in shows such as The Weekenders, Shooting Stars, Catterick, and House of Fools. Bob has also made many appearances as a solo act. He has been a frequent guest on Would I Lie To You? since 2012, and baffles other panelists with his weird and wacky stories. In 2017, he starred and won season 5 of Taskmaster. More recently he won the first series of Last One Laughing UK, which was a tremedous feat.
Fun facts about Bob
Personally, I adore Bob Mortimer. I think that he is a national treasure, worth protecting at all costs. I find him absolutely hilarious, like you’re weird uncle (but in a good way). There are so many things about me that I wish more people knew! Like how he is a published author. That’s right, in 2022 he published The Satsuma Complex – a brilliant comic novel.
I bet you also didn’t know that he admitted that he dealt with crippling shyness until he was 30. Apparently this only began to improve after his television success. Looking at him now, you never would have thought that!
And this is my most heartwarming fact about Bob Mortimer, saved for last. In 2015, Vic and Bob has to cancel the first half of their Reeves and Mortimer 25 Years tour. This was because Bob had to undergo emergency triple bypass surgery. On the day of his admission to hospital, he married his girlfriend of 22 years. They are still together today and have two sons. How sweet is that?
What is Bob Mortimer’s net worth?
So, the big question. What is Bob Mortimer actually worth, anyway? He seems so unassuming, so you might think that it’s not much. However, he is considered the top UK comedian – so take your guess and double it!
Due to his success as part of the Reeves and Mortimer duo, his cameos on various quiz and TV shows, and his recent venture into becoming a bestselling author, it is estimated that Bob Mortimer is actually worth around £8 million. That’s a lot of zeros! Despite this high figure he still gives off a very humble vibe, which is most likely due to his upbringing.
What can you learn from Bob?
I think that Bob Mortimer is an incredibly funny, talented, and overall good man. You can learn a lot from him – though mainly odd things that have happened to him that sound absolutely unbelievable, yet are somehow true. We should all strive to be more like Bob – to overcome our fears and have fun living life.
If you’d like to learn more about Bob, why not read his autobiography? Interested in more articles on culture? Check out a review of Marty Supreme!
Thank you for reading. And in the words of Bob – have a champochoochoo on me.