Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing’s breakout star and underbite king, Ted, has died aged 13.
The BBC announced that the much-loved canine, who has spent the last six years tagging along with Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse on their fishing adventures, died – and will make his final appearance in the upcoming series.
Bob Mortimer paid tribute to Ted, saying: “So very, very sad. Lovely Ted, the best companion and the greatest little chum. Going to miss him so much.. and away boss.”
Whitehouse added: “Bye bye Ted old friend. He wasn’t a dog, he was a species all of his own. He’s gone to the great briefcase emporium in the sky. We will really miss you mate.”
Ted belonged to Gone Fishing executive producer Lisa Clark, having been rescued from a dog home in Surrey at just six months old in the Spring of 2013.
“Ted was a much-loved family pet as well as a treasured companion to Paul and Bob on Gone Fishing,” Clark said in a statement.
“He took fame in his little stride and loved nothing better than messing around on the riverbanks, nicking jammy dodgers from Bob and bait from Paul. He will be sorely missed both at home and on screen. We’ll never forget him. He is survived at home by Bo the Briard.”
Ted made his Gone Fishing debut in series three and quickly established himself as a scene-stealing star – frequently sticking his snout into the stars’ fishing bags and keeping them company on various British riverbanks.
The dog was lovingly mocked by Whitehouse and Mortimer throughout his time on the show, with the pair developing his rich backstory – as an explosives expert who’s lost his briefcase in the woods – over many years. Fans have watched Ted celebrate his birthday, head on his first date and cuddle up to the pair of comedians over the last six series.
Outside of the show, Ted found influencer fame, racking up 282,000 followers on Instagram, and released two books – Ted’s Pawtobiography and Ted: Pup Fiction.
After a tribute to Ted was posted to his Instagram page, a number of stars paid tribute to the terrier. Motherland’s Diane Morgan commented: “Oh god, this has me welling up! What an amazing little character he was. Sending love to his family for giving him such an incredible life xx”
While comedian Charlie Baker added: “Good Boy Ted. Hope you find your briefcase. Thanks for the joy.”
Ted will posthumously appear in one episode of the upcoming ninth series of Gone Fishing.
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