Paul Whitehouse admitted "that's bad" after Bob Mortimer took a photo of his bald spot and promised to "take 15 years off" him during the latest episode of Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing.
The comedy pals returned to BBC screens on October 12 in the hit series, where the friends speak candidly about their health while fishing the river Wensum in search of roach.
Bob's plan to recapture Paul's youth
Struggling to keep up, the pair realised how age was starting to take its toll on their fitness. Bob had a plan to help Paul recapture his youth, and during an overnight stay in a disused train station, Bob gave his friend a new look.
During the repeat episode, Bob had cooked Paul some lunch when the pair began discussing ageing and appearance. Bob announced he was going to take a photo of Paul's bald spot so he could "address it".
"I acknowledge its existence, Bob," Paul replied, which made Bob all the more eager to do something about it.
The makeover begins
"I have bought with me all the kit I used to use to cover up when I had a bald spot and that," Bob shared with excitement. Paul was less enthusiastic, saying he was "not bothered" by his appearance.
"I'm gonna do it for you and see how you feel, I just want a 'before' shot," Bob pressed as he went to take a photo of the back of his friend's head. Paul reluctantly agreed, as Bob cried "Whoa!", observing Paul's head closely.
"You are not going to like that. I'm not going to show you, it'll depress you. It's not good news," he teased before agreeing to show Paul the photo of his exposed scalp.
"Yeah, that's bad," Paul admitted with slight shame. "But I can make that look… I can take 15 years off you," Bob assured him. Paul agreed to let Bob work his magic, and later in the episode, Bob stayed true to his word and helped revamp Paul before their big night out at the pub.
"I'm changing your life"
As the pair got ready in their quirky accommodation, Paul asked: "So you have used hair thickening spray before, have you?" As Bob wrapped a towel around Paul's shoulders, he assured him: "A lot of performers use this, Paul, and get away with it."
"I don't worry about this too much," Paul replied. "I'm not doing this particularly for me Bob, but for all mankind. Are you actually a licensed practitioner?" he asked with a nervous laugh.
"You don't need a licence, it's just a spray," Bob said in frustration as he handed Paul a toy train to play with as a distraction. "I'm slightly concerned that I'm leaving the coiffure to a halfwit with a spray can," Paul admitted.
Bob then applied the treatment to Paul's head. "Very disconcerting," Paul said. "You know my little swathes of grey at the side? Don't tamper with them because they give me a kind of gravitas."
He described the experience as "like being at the dentist without pain, you think something bad is gonna happen". "What are you doing?" Paul asked worryingly as Bob sprinkled powder over Paul's head. "I'm changing your life," Bob replied wittily.
After taking a photo of the end result, Paul was surprised. "Cor, look at that," he said, "It's pretty good, isn't it."
Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing airs on Monday on BBC Two at 10pm.
