Paul Whitehouse

Installed on the banks of the Upper Tamar lake on the Cornwall-Devon border, the two chums josh joyfully as they await a bite from "Percy perch". Later comes a day of sea angling that yields a monster of the deep so magnificent it sends Bob's heart rate monitor through the roof. Endlessly funny.

Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing review

Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse make a splash with this effortlessly funny, profoundly life-affirming meditation on friendship, leisure and mortality.

Review - Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing

There is a relaxing element to the series and shots of the countryside are undoubtedly beautiful, but that's not what I come to a show like this for. As much as I love these two men the gag rate just isn't high enough, and as I have absolutely no interest in fishing that side of proceedings doesn't work either, even on the rare occasion that they catch one of the bloody things. It's a real shame as there have been times that this series has been a delight, but due to the far too many banal moments it's something I can't really recommend, and I doubt I'll watch another episode after this.

The pair pitch up at the wild lakes of Essex, armed with hi-tech fishing equipment ("Old men with modern methods: a lethal combination"). Bob shows Paul how to make perfect scrambled eggs and they visit a beauty clinic, amid much meditation on ageing.

Happy to be back in their waders, Paul Whitehouse and Bob Mortimer return for a second series of their mix of angling and homespun philosophy. They begin with a trout-fishing trip to the River Usk, where Whitehouse's father handed him his first rod. "You're fishing with a buffoon, aren't you?" asks Mortimer after getting entangled in tackle for the umpteenth time, prompting a retreat to the riverbank for a lamb lunch seasoned with reminiscences of first snogs. A gentle treat.

Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing, review

The template of joshing and musing against gorgeous scenery is totally unchanged, but should provide the perfect Friday night wind-down.

Gone Fishing, episode 1 review

Lumps in the throat when Paul Whitehouse scattered his father's ashes.

Audio: Paul Whitehouse interview

Paul Whitehouse talks about why a series about "two old gits sitting on a riverbank" has been so popular and reveals a few secrets and funnies from the forthcoming series.

Andy Mace replacing Paul Whitehouse in OFAH musical

Actor Andy Mace (The Lion King / Wicked) will take over the role of 'Grandad' from Paul Whitehouse in Only Fools and Horses The Musical from Monday 29 July. Whitehouse is taking a well-earned break from the smash hit show and is due to return to the Theatre Royal Haymarket in several months' time.