Comedian Bob Mortimer has suggested he could soon be heading back to his beloved North East as part of a future episode of Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing.
The Middlesbrough-born funnyman has never hidden his affection for Teesside’s rivers, moors and coast — and fans of the BBC Two series are already speculating that the area could feature again in the future.
Mortimer and his long-time friend and co-star Paul Whitehouse previously filmed in the region for the 2020 Christmas episode, revisiting Bob’s childhood roots while fishing for grayling on the River Tees and the River Esk.
The festive special became an instant favourite, combining gentle humour with poignant reflections on life, family and health.
Since then, the pair have travelled the country with rods in hand, from the Scottish Highlands to the Welsh valleys, but Mortimer has hinted that a return to the North East might be on the cards.
Speaking recently on BBC Tees about future filming plans, he remarked that “home is where your heart is” and described Teesside as “a beautiful neck of the woods — easy to take for granted.”
If the show does head back north, viewers can expect more of the scenery that made the 2020 episode so memorable: the Transporter Bridge glinting in the morning sun, the rugged moors around Osmotherley in North Yorkshire, and perhaps another stop-off at local favourites such as the Crathorne Arms in Yarm or the harbour cottages of Staithes.
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Mortimer’s warmth for the region is clear.
In interviews, he’s spoken lovingly about his late mother, his childhood home, and the sense of humour and resilience that shape people from Teesside.
With Gone Fishing now established as one of the BBC’s most cherished feel-good series, a return trip would offer a chance for both nostalgia and new laughter, with fans often encouraging the TV pair to come to the North East.
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