Born in Middlesbrough, Mortimer endured the sudden death of his father when he was seven and was also responsible for burning down the family home at a similar age. After an abortive football trial for Middlesbrough FC, he studied Law and then relocated to London where he became a solicitor for Southwark Council, working on cases connected to public health which earned him the soubriquet of The Cockroach King.
From the beloved comedian and author of the bestselling memoir And Away comes a debut novel rich in Mortimer's unique brand of surreal whimsy, as nondescript legal assistant Gary seeks a girl he met by chance, through the estates and pie shops of South London.
In 1986, Mortimer went to see up-and-coming comic Vic Reeves in a show at Goldsmith’s Tavern in New Cross and the pair soon became a lauded double act. Televisual success followed with hits such as Vic Reeves’ Big Night Out, The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer and comedy panel game Shooting Stars, which mined the duo’s anarchic wit and unique brand of surrealism. Outside of his work with Reeves, Mortimer co-starred in the acclaimed TV show Gone Fishing with Paul Whitehouse - which spawned an accompanying book in 2019 - as well as making numerous memorable appearances on panel show Would I Lie to You?
In 2021, Mortimer produced his memoir And Away…, which blended his trademark flights of fancy with more reflective passages about his childhood grief and health scares and became an enormous bestseller. Mortimer followed this up in 2022 with his debut novel, The Satsuma Complex, about a nondescript legal assistant trying to trace a girl he met across South London.
Would you like to proceed to the App store to download the Waterstones App?
