'Middlesbrough: a beautiful neck of woods to live'

Comedy legend Bob Mortimer says his heart will always be in his hometown.

Mortimer, known for his surreal and eccentric humour alongside fellow comedian Vic Reeves, and more recently his BBC series Gone Fishing with Paul Whitehouse, spoke about his love for all things Teesside following the launch of his new book, The Long Shoe.

He told BBC Radio Tees how he regularly travels to where he grew up to watch his beloved Middlesbrough FC with his sons, adding: "I do miss it, home is where your heart is.

"It's a very beautiful neck of the woods we live in. It is easy to ignore it."

The 66-year-old said he wants to come back to the River Tees for the Gone Fishing series, which sees the comedy duo rock up in some of the most picturesque landscapes across the country while sharing their personal and funny experiences of life.

"We have got to come and fish on the Tees," he said.

"We fished on the Tyne as well but I think next series we'll do the upper Tees again and we'll try the River Wear as well."

The lifelong Middlesbrough fan, who grew up dreaming of a career with the team, said he has been to the majority of the games so far this season.

"Up to Preston and Norwich, Portsmouth, Southampton, I enjoy it.

"That's the big thing in my life, supporting the Boro with my two boys.

"I'm cautiously optimistic. It's difficult to trust the Boro but it's going good and I'm hopeful.

"I enjoy the day out, enjoy being with my boys on a nice long car journey and enjoying the match with them."

And on the chances of promotion? "I'm fine either way, but maybe this is the year."

Another of the comic's passions is writing fiction and he began writing his first book, The Satsuma Complex, during lockdown as a way "to fill the time".

"And then when the book was finished I missed it," he said.

"It's a nice lifestyle, you know, age appropriate, nice gentle days.

"It's what I like to do now, it's where I get most pleasure from in writing the books."

Mortimer said he is "very grateful" to be still working at his age.

"It'll be 40 years soon since I've been doing this so I wouldn't have guessed that 40 years ago.

"Old age and comedy, it's a difficult one that. There's not many comics still pulling it off."

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