COMEDIANS Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse toured Teesside for the Christmas episode of their BBC show, which aired last night.
The festive Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Christmas Fishing saw the duo, who took up fishing after they both had heart problems, catching grayling at quiet spots on the rivers Tees and Esk before heading out onto the North Sea.
To a backdrop of popular spots like the Tees Transporter Bridge, the show is a humbling reminder of what Christmas - and life - is all about.
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Middlesbrough-born Mr Mortimer, stood outside his childhood home where he was actually born, remembers the moment his dad was killed in a road traffic accident and seeing his mam cry.
The conversion moves on to his mam being a "hero of Christmas" and the two grapple with the positive and negative memories "you have to live with".
Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston called the show a "brilliant watch" with a "wonderful opening" showcasing the town.
What a brilliant watch Gone Fishing Christmas Special was on Sunday night starring Middlesbrough’s own @RealBobMortimer with a guest appearance from fellow Boro lad @chrisreamusic
— Andy Preston Mayor (@Tees_Issues) December 14, 2020
Thanks Bob and friends for such great Teesside PR
This was the wonderful opening to the programme pic.twitter.com/HkQqAD8LnJ
Where else did the two visit around Teeside?
The two travelled by train to Middlesbrough.
They stayed in fishermen’s cottages in the harbour village of Staithes and went off into the North Sea.
Mr Mortimer helped to cook a turkey dinner and hosted a two-man office party at the popular Crathorne Arms in Yarm, complete with karaoke.
The Crathorne Arms is a popular spot just ten minutes from Middlesbrough with a courtyard, function room and music room. It has a traditional feel and logs fires for farmers, cyclists and dogs alike.
While fishing, the colour of the water is compared to that of a cup of tea.
The duo never say where the location is but there is a credit at the end of the show for Eggleston Hall Fishing Syndicate, with many people on social media identifying the Tees spot as Eggleston Bridge in Upper Teesdale.
They also stayed in Chequers, a holiday cottage to the east of Osmotherley that was previously a legendary pub.
Emma McDonald, who owns the cottage, said: "I was just scrolling through my email and saw something from the BBC. I read it and read it again wondering if it was real.
"They said it was the perfect quintessential Christmas cottage, a magical place on the moors and that they would love to film on it.
"I hand make everything myself for the cottage, the baubles and all of the decorations. They filmed back in October so I was preparing for Christmas really early but obviously, we had to keep quiet about it.
"This is a lovely boost for the area of the moors, a nice uplifting thing for the region. The programme is a great feel-good show for Christmas and I can't believe 4 million people were looking into our living room last night, and that goes up to 20 million with views on iPlayer. It's surreal.
"The boys were lots of great fun and they loved the cottage. Surreal is the only word for it."
The Transporter Bridge, in central Middlesbrough, is showcased throughout the show while Mr Mortimer also returns to his old home.
In 2016, Mr Mortimer shared a picture of the house on Twitter.
Got to Boro 2hrs early. So here's a picture of the house I was born and raised in pic.twitter.com/MJjKvMz8nI
— bob mortimer (@RealBobMortimer) November 20, 2016
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