Dr Michael Mosley: Tributes pour in for ‘national treasure’ TV doctor, as wife says he ‘so very nearly made it’
Tributes have poured in for “brilliant and utterly charming” TV doctor Michael Mosely, as his wife described him as a “wonderful, funny, kind and brilliant husband”.
Mosley was last seen on Wednesday, after he went for a walk on his own from Saint Nikolas Beach in the centre of the Greek island of Symi, but he disappeared, triggering a search.
His body was found on Sunday by a camera crew, close to a cave complex beside Agia Marina, around 10m from the sea.
His wife Dr Clare Mosley said she took comfort from the fact “he so very nearly made it”, as tributes poured in for the doctor who made popular the 5:2 diet and championed public health.
‘A wonderfully sweet, kind and gentle man’
A drone shows rescuers transporting the body of the popular TV doctor. Pic: Reuters
Mosley’s co-presenter on Trust Me, I’m A Doctor, Dr Saleyha Ahsan, described him as “a national treasure” as the BBC, who he was known for working for, said he would be “hugely missed”.
Dr Ahsan told Sky News: “He had this talent to engage. It wasn’t just the celebrity status, it was because there was trust.
“He lived and breathed his work. He was an inspiration. I hate even saying ‘was’ – is an inspiration.”
Meanwhile, the BBC’s chief content officer Charlotte Moore said: “His entertaining and accessible style was enjoyed by audiences around the world and he will be hugely missed by many people not least those fortunate enough to have worked with him at the BBC.”
Mosley made regular appearances on Morning Live and The One Show and worked on programmes including Medical Mavericks, Eat Fast Live Longer, Inside Michael Mosley, The Young Ones and Trust Me, I’m a Doctor.
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Who was Michael Mosley?
Tributes poured in from across British television and beyond, with Channel 4, who he also worked with, releasing statements along with Carol Vorderman, Jeremy Vine and more.
TV presenter Kaye Adams, who says she interviewed Michael Mosley “countless times over the years”, said “we really have lost one of the good guys”.
Roy Taylor, a physician and diabetologist who worked with Mosley on tackling type two diabetes, told Sky News: “Michael was a real one-off.”
TV chef Jamie Oliver, like several others, acknowledged the work Mosley did for public health, saying he “changed the conversation around many public health issues for the better”.
“What a wonderfully sweet, kind and gentle man he was,” Oliver added,
Speaking to Sky News, Phil Hammond, who worked on the BBC2 series Trust Me I’m A Doctor with Mosley, said he still “can’t quite believe he’s gone”.
Dr Phil Hammond was one of many who paid tribute to Dr Mosley
Professor Alice Roberts, who also worked with Mosley on a number of programmes, described meeting up with him at Hay Festival in Hay-on-Wye just two weeks ago.
She added: “I can’t believe he’s gone. My thoughts are with his bereaved family.”
Mosley’s death was felt outside the world of television as former deputy leader of the Labour Party Tom Watson said it was “hard to describe how upset I am by this news”.
In a statement on X, he said: “Through courageous, science-based journalism, Michael Mosley has helped thousands of people get well and healthy. I’m one of them.
“He was a hero to me. He will be deeply missed. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.”
After losing about seven stone, Mr Watson said in an interview that Mosley’s The Fast Diet book was part of his weight-loss regime.
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Michael Mosley’s body found in Greece
A number of national newspapers kicked Monday off, leading on the news of Mosley’s death and his wife’s tribute to him.
‘So very nearly made it’
In a touching statement, Mosley’s wife, Dr Clare Bailey Mosley, said it was “devastating” to have lost him but she took comfort from how close to safety he had been when he died.
Read more:
Mosley’s body was found just metres from safety
Who was TV doctor who popularised 5:2 diet?
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She said: “I don’t know quite where to begin with this. It’s devastating to have lost Michael, my wonderful, funny, kind and brilliant husband.
“We had an incredibly lucky life together. We loved each other very much and were so happy together. I am incredibly proud of our children, their resilience and support over the past days.
“My family and I have been hugely comforted by the outpouring of love from people from around the world. It’s clear that Michael meant a huge amount to so many of you.
“We’re taking comfort in the fact that he so very nearly made it.
“He did an incredible climb, took the wrong route and collapsed where he couldn’t be easily seen by the extensive search team.
“Michael was an adventurous man, it’s part of what made him so special. We are so grateful to the extraordinary people on Symi who have worked tirelessly to help find him.
“Some of these people on the island, who hadn’t even heard of Michael, worked from dawn till dusk unasked. We’re also very grateful to the press who have dealt with us with great respect.
“I feel so lucky to have our children and my amazing friends. Most of all, I feel so lucky to have had this life with Michael.
“Thank you all.”
Despite The Who’s Quadrophenia being set over 60 years ago, Pete Townshend’s themes of identity, mental health, and modern masculinity are just as relevant today.
The album is having a renaissance as Pete Townshend’s Quadrophenia A Mod ballet is being brought to life via dance at Sadler’s Wells East, and Sky News has an exclusive first look.
As Townshend puts it, the album he wrote is “perfect” for the stage.
Pete Townshend
“My wife Rachel did the orchestration for me, and as soon as I heard it I said to her it would make a fabulous ballet and we never really let that go,” he tells Sky News.
“Heavy percussion, concussive sequences. They’re explosive moments. They’re also romantic movement moments.”
If you identify with the demographics of Millennial, Gen Y or Gen Z, you might not be familiar with The Who and Mod culture.
But in post-war Britain the Mods were a cultural phenomenon characterised by fashion, music, and of course, scooters. The young rebels were seen as a counter-culture to the establishment and The Who, with Roger Daltry’s lead vocals and Pete Townshend’s writing, were the soundtrack.
Quadrophenia the album is widely regarded as an essay on the British adolescent experience at the time, focusing on the life of fictional protagonist Jimmy – a young Mod struggling with his sanity, self-doubt, and alienation.
Townshend sets the rock opera in 1965 but thinks its themes of identity, mental health, and modern masculinity are just as relevant today.
He says: “The phobias and the restrictions and the unwritten laws about how young men should behave. The ground that they broke, that we broke because I was a part of it.
“Men were letting go of [the] wartime-related, uniform-related stance that if I wear this kind of outfit it makes me look like a man.”
Paris Fitzpatrick and Pete Townshend. Pic: Johan Persson
This struggle of modern masculinity and identity appears to be echoing today as manosphere influencers like Andrew Tate, incel culture, and Netflix’s Adolescence make headlines.
For dancer Paris Fitzpatrick, who takes on the lead role of Jimmy, the story resonates.
Paris Fitzpatrick, who takes on the lead role of Jimmy in the ballet
“I think there’s a connection massively and I think there may even be a little more revival in some way,” he tells Sky News.
“I love that myself. I love non-conforming to gender norms and typical masculinity; I think it’s great to challenge things.”
Despite the album being written before he was born, the dancer says he was familiar with the genre already.
“I actually did an art GCSE project about Mods and rockers and Quadrophenia,” he says.
“I think we’ll be able to bring it to new audiences and hopefully, maybe people will be inspired to to learn more about their music and the whole cultural movement of the early 60s.”
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In 1979, the album was adapted into a film directed by Franc Roddam starring Ray Winstone and Sting but Townshend admits because the film missed key points he is “not a big fan”.
“What it turned out to be in the movie was a story about culture, about social scenario and less about really the specifics of mental illness and how that affects young people,” he adds, also complimenting Roddam’s writing for the film.
Perhaps a testament to Pete Townshend’s creativity, Quadrophenia started as an album, was successfully adapted to film and now it will hit the stage as a contemporary ballet.
It appears that over six decades later Mod culture is still cool and their issues still relatable.
Quadrophenia, a Mod Ballet will tour to Plymouth Theatre Royal from 28 May to 1 June 2025, Edinburgh Festival Theatre from 10 to 14 June 2025 and the Mayflower, Southampton from 18 to 21 June 2025 before having its official opening at Sadler’s Wells Theatre, London on 24 June running to 13 July 2025 and then visiting The Lowry, Salford from 15 to 19 July 2025.
Russell Brand has been charged with rape and two counts of sexual assault between 1999 and 2005.
The Metropolitan Police say the 50-year-old comedian, actor and author has also been charged with one count of oral rape and one count of indecent assault.
The charges relate to four women.
He is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday 2 May.
Police have said Brand is accused of raping a woman in the Bournemouth area in 1999 and indecently assaulting a woman in the Westminster area of London in 2001.
He is also accused of orally raping and sexually assaulting a woman in Westminster in 2004.
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Ashna Hurynag discusses Russell Brand’s charges
The fourth charge alleges that a woman was sexually assaulted in Westminster between 2004 and 2005.
Police began investigating Brand, from Oxfordshire, in September 2023 after receiving a number of allegations.
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The comedian has denied the accusations and said he has “never engaged in non-consensual activity”.
He added in a video on X: “Of course, I am now going to have the opportunity to defend these charges in court, and I’m incredibly grateful for that.”
Metropolitan Police Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy, who is leading the investigation, said: “The women who have made reports continue to receive support from specially trained officers.
“The Met’s investigation remains open and detectives ask anyone who has been affected by this case, or anyone who has any information, to come forward and speak with police.”
Tom Cruise has paid tribute to Val Kilmer, wishing his Top Gun co-star “well on the next journey”.
Cruise, speaking at the CinemaCon film event in Las Vegas on Thursday, asked for a moment’s silence to reflect on the “wonderful” times shared with the star, whom he called a “dear friend”.
Kilmer, who died of pneumonia on Tuesday aged 65, rocketed to fame starring alongside Cruise in the 1986 blockbuster Top Gun, playing Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky, a rival fighter pilot to Cruise’s character Maverick.
Tom Cruise said ‘I wish you well on the next journey’. Pic: AP
Val Kilmer in 2017. Pic: AP
His last part was a cameo role in the 2022 blockbuster sequel Top Gun: Maverick.
Cruise, on stage at Caesars Palace on Thursday, said: “I’d like to honour a dear friend of mine, Val Kilmer. I can’t tell you how much I admire his work, how grateful and honoured I was when he joined Top Gun and came back later for Top Gun: Maverick.
“I think it would be really nice if we could have a moment together because he loved movies and he gave a lot to all of us. Just kind of think about all the wonderful times that we had with him.
“I wish you well on the next journey.”
The moment of silence followed a string of tributes from Hollywood figures including Cher, Francis Ford Coppola, Antonio Banderas and Michelle Monaghan.
Kilmer’s daughter Mercedes told the New York Times on Wednesday that the actor had died from pneumonia.
Tom Cruise at Caesars Palace on Thursday. Pic: AP
Diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014, Kilmer discussed his illness and recovery in his 2020 memoir Your Huckleberry and Amazon Prime documentary Val.
He underwent radiation and chemotherapy treatments for the disease and also had a tracheostomy which damaged his vocal cords and permanently gave him a raspy speaking voice.
Kilmer played Batman in the 1995 film Batman Forever and received critical acclaim for his portrayal of rock singer Jim Morrison in the 1991 movie The Doors.
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He also starred in True Romance and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, as well as playing criminal Chris Shiherlis in Michael Mann’s 1995 movie Heat and Doc Holliday in the 1993 film Tombstone.
In 1988 he married British actress Joanne Whalley, whom he met while working on fantasy adventure Willow.
The couple had two children before divorcing in 1996.
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