Paul Whitehouse reveals he has been diagnosed with diabetes and has had to cut out his 'chocolate frenzies' after Gone Fishing co-star Bob Mortimer confessed 'we're iller than we look'

Paul Whitehouse has told fans he has been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and has had to give up his chocolate habit in order to stay fit and healthy.The Gone Fishing star, 68, and his co-star Bob Mortimer, 67, recently said 'we're a lot iller than we look' as they revealed their concerns over how much longer they can continue with their hit show.Opening up about his health ahead of the new series, Paul said: 'I sort of was diagnosed that I've crept into Type 2 diabetes area.'I think with my lifestyle and our age, I think it's quite common, actually. I could probably have reduced it by cutting out the Maltesers, which I've done.'When he was asked if he still has the 'chocolate frenzies,' Paul said: 'No. I have two bits of dark chocolate that's basically torture and not chocolate.'Sharing more detail about what happens to Paul when he is hit with the need for chocolate, Bob said: 'One night when we were fishing, I saw you on top of the kitchen wall cabinets looking for it!' Paul Whitehouse has told fans he has been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and has had to give up his chocolate habit in order to stay fit and healthyPaul admitted: 'All my clothes were off, and I was just in a fury trying to find chocolate! 'We'd been fishing in the day, we'd gone down to that little lake in the grounds and caught some big trout, remember? And I thought I deserved a reward, a chocolate reward, but there was no chocolate in the house, and I went mad. 'Now I don't have that. Anyway, I've cut almost all sugar out, and I'm also prescribed some medication for it.'Bob also mentioned how he has been keeping fit doing at-home workouts while watching the television.He said: 'I've been once [to the gym]! But on my first visit, I hurt my toe.'Paul replied: 'You didn't tell me this! You've been styling it out like you're there every day in, day out, with "kettlebell this" and all that.'Bob explained: 'No, I've got my kettlebells and weights at home, and I sit watching the telly doing exercises. I’ve really been working on it.'The comedy duo recently spoke about their health woes, including Bob's emergency triple heart bypass surgery in 2015 and Paul having three coronary stents fitted in the same year.Their health scares led to the show Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing, which launched in 2018, after Bob's wife Lisa Matthews feared he was slipping into depression so asked Paul to take him fishing. Gone Fishing has now been running for eight seasons, however Bob warned: 'If we did the show for long enough and became decrepit then one day we might catch a pike and the pike will drag us in.'Speaking to The Sunday Times Culture, he added: 'And I don't mind ageing Paul, but I'd hate it if we couldn't come fishing any more and that's not far off Paul, that's not far off.'Paul went on: 'There's no mucking around with heart issues. You are there and if you're not careful you're gone. And Bob and I had threatened to fish for ages so we thought we better get on with it for both our sakes.' Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse have admitted they are 'iller than they look' and voiced concerns for the future of their hit show Gone FishingBob explained that he had ignored the warnings of his health issues as he just thought he was 'out of breath' while playing with his sons Harry, 29, and Tom, 28.He said: 'We're a lot iller than we look. When I look back on it, I just thought I was getting breathless when playing football with my sons...'I just put it down to old age because I was in my early 50s. But you should not be out of your breath in your 50s. That is the sniper's alley decade for heart attacks.'He discovered his need for surgery during a pre-tour check-up, when a doctor immediately referred him to a cardiologist who told him that some of his arteries were between 95-98% blocked - landing him in surgery days later. Bob said: 'He told me that if I'd gone on tour I would have probably died on stage in Southampton. The overpowering feeling was one of fear...'I was very scared. I convinced myself that it would be absolutely life-changing. I don't suppose I thought I was going to die, although they give you the warning that everyone gets before an operation.'Speaking about how Paul helped him with his mental recovery through fishing, he said: 'When you've had the operation – especially that big cut down your chest – you feel very vulnerable, even going out into the street... The comedy duo spoke to The Sunday Times Culture about their health woes, including Bob's emergency triple heart bypass surgery in 2015, above'I was sat about a bit. It's true that the only voice in my life telling me to get out of the house was Paul Whitehouse. He was very insistent and very persistent...'He was the first person I opened up to apart from my wife about the journey. And there's that lovely thing about fishing. If I'd gone for a drink with Paul, all we'd have done is try to make each other laugh...'But when you go to the riverbank you make each other laugh and there's still six hours left and you do get a bit reflective and I started to dare to ask Paul about his rehab. We both support each other with it.'In 2022, Bob said he had a 'very, very unhealthy year' that left him with a 'terrible feeling' when his rheumatoid arthritis returned after 29 years.His later contraction of shingles led to his worst health crisis, as he said of having the virus: 'It was worse than my heart period.' Shingles is a painful viral infection caused by the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus – the same virus that causes chickenpox.