The second episode of the latest series of Gone Fishing pays tribute to Ted, the beloved Patterdale Terrier cross who died aged 13 in April. Paul Whitehouse and Bob Mortimer returned to Norfolk, the first location where Ted ever joined them, to remember the dog and raise a cup in his honour.
Return to Norfolk
While driving through the countryside, Paul agreed Norfolk would be "right up Ted's street". He added: "It's fitting that we are back here now then, isn't it? We'll maybe raise a glass to Ted, because we will miss him."
The pair then joked about their former companion. "Do you think he will go up or down?" Bob enquired, alluding to heaven and hell. "It's very hard to say, I think he will go up," Paul said as he humoured his mate. "But then be rejected," Bob remarked.
Raising a Toast
Later in the episode, seated beside the riverbank and discussing Bob joining the gym with his son, the two contemplated how they had mistreated their bodies in their younger years before turning to Ted. As they savoured a cup of tea, they raised a toast to him, with Paul observing: "He's be having a right laugh up there, won't he?"
"The people up there with him won't though, will they?" Bob responded. "I know, he will give them a piece of his mind," Paul joked, adding: "Teddy, we are going to miss him on the riverbank, Bob, aren't we?"
"Good company, he was," Bob reflected. "He was great, because he certainly didn't fawn over us, did he?" The exchange then became more touching as Bob offered heartfelt remarks about their late companion.
Heartfelt Tributes
"He were grumpy... he had a very generous heart," Bob said. "And that's why we loved him, poor old Teddy," Paul added as the melancholy music kept playing.
Ted first appeared in the third series, which broadcast in September 2020. He subsequently featured regularly throughout the programme and was later presented with a 'lifetime achievement award' in the 2025 Christmas special.
The rescue dog's passing and the tribute which followed in last week's Gone Fishing left viewers in tears, and they flocked to Instagram to express their reactions to the show's comeback. One commented: "#GoneFishing what a show, what an episode. Still sobbing. RIP Ted."
Another posted: "That was a hard watch saying goodbye to Ted. He'll always be remembered as part of the #GoneFishing team. Thanks for the memories Ted." Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing airs on Sundays on BBC2 at 9pm.
