Just hours before going into hospital for a triple heart bypass operation (which seems to have gone well), Bob Mortimer was tweeting about a piece of work he’d done with Matt Berry which was airing on the BBC iPlayer. This is the spirit of the man, doing something for a mate even in a moment which could have plunged him into a dark despair.

While the November and December dates of Vic ‘n’ Bob’s 25 Years of Reeves and Mortimer: The Poignant Moments tour have been cancelled, the hope is that 2016 will be ushered in with the pair back on stage. For those of a certain vintage, catchphrases such as ‘what’s on the end of the stick, Vic?’ ‘you wouldn’t let it lie’ and ‘we really wanna see those fingers’ became the stuff of playground / office/ courtroom legend and the duo promised all this and more on their anniversary tour.

A spokesman for Mortimer made this statement on his behaf: 'Bob would like to thank his Consultant and all the nursing staff at the hospital for looking after him so well. He now needs several weeks to fully recover, so unfortunately the first leg of the UK tour will be cancelled. Bob very much hopes to be fit and well enough to perform the second leg in January next year.'

While often dabbling in their own solo projects (Reeves has exhibited his art and presented Brainiac while Mortimer boxed Les Dennis for Sport Relief and can split an apple apart with his bare hands), the magic truly takes off when they’re in a room together. Dubbed the Morecambe and Morecambe of 90s comedy, their influence can be detected in the surrealish works of the Mighty Boosh and most things their pal Matt Berry has been in. Get well soon, Bob.

See below for details of cancelled performances. All ticket holders should contact their point of purchase for a full refund.