TV DOCTOR Michael Mosley has died aged 67 after going missing during a walk on a Greek island – as his devastated wife pays tribute.
The health guru, who had worked in TV for nearly 40 years and regularly appeared on The One Show and This Morning, vanished on Wednesday (June 5), before his body was found today.
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He was reported missing by wife Clare Bailey, 62, while on holiday in Symi and is understood to have been navigating a dangerous cave complex known to locals as “The Abyss” when he fell.
His body was found a 30-minute walk from where Dr Mosley was last seen.
The grim discovery was made by a barman behind a fence close to the rocky coast.
Dr Bailey has released a tribute to her husband, describing him as “wonderful, funny, kind and brilliant”.
She said: “I don’t know quite where to begin with this. It’s devastating to have lost Michael, my wonderful, funny, kind and brilliant husband. We had an incredibly lucky life together.
“We loved each other very much and were so happy together. I am incredibly proud of our children, their resilience and support over the past days.
“My family and I have been hugely comforted by the outpouring of love from people from around the world. It’s clear that Michael meant a huge amount to so many of you.
I don’t know quite where to begin with this. It’s devastating to have lost Michael, my wonderful, funny, kind and brilliant husband. We had an incredibly lucky life together.
Dr Clare Bailey
“We’re taking comfort in the fact that he so very nearly made it. He did an incredible climb, took the wrong route and collapsed where he couldn’t be easily seen by the extensive search team.
“Michael was an adventurous man, it’s part of what made him so special. We are so grateful to the extraordinary people on Symi who have worked tirelessly to help find him.
“Some of these people on the island, who hadn’t even heard of Michael, worked from dawn till dusk unasked. We’re also very grateful to The Press who have dealt with us with great respect.
“I feel so lucky to have our children and my amazing friends. Most of all, I feel so lucky to have had this life with Michael. Thank you all.”
RISE TO FAME
Dr Mosley was born in Calcutta, India, to British parents and attended a boarding school in England from the age of seven.
He later studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at New College, Oxford, before working for two years as a banker in the City of London.
However, he switched his attention to medicine, studying at Royal Free Hospital Medical School, now part of UCL Medical School.
He started his medical course in 1980 where he met the love of his life.
He previously told Sussex Living: “100 of us in the year and the Dean said four of you will marry, and I met Clare then.”
Dr Mosley graduated in 1985, and, having become disillusioned with his plan of going into psychiatry, joined the Beeb’s trainee assistant producer scheme the same year.
He went on to produce a number of science programmes, including The Human Face, as well as three series with Robert Winston and engineering series Inventions That Changed the World, hosted by Jeremy Clarkson.
Dr Mosley went on to present Make Me for BBC One, and BBC Two show The Story of Science in 2010.
His documentary The Truth About Exercise in 2012 highlighted how different patterns of training impacts the body.
Other shows included The Genius of Invention, The Truth About Personality, The Diagnostics Detectives and Lose a Stone in 21 Days for Channel 4.
In 2002, Dr Mosley was nominated for an Emmy as an Executive Producer for The Human Face with John Cleese.
And in 2017 was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science by the University of Edinburgh.
He published book Fast Asleep in 2019, inspired by his own insomnia, with other books including The 8-Week Blood Sugar Diet.
He was an intermittent fasting and low-carbohydrate diet advocate and had also promoted the ketogenic diet.
Dr Mosley and GP wife Dr Bailey share four children who are now all grown-up, which include two sons aged 33-years-old and 31.
They also welcomed a daughter who is 29-years-old and their youngest child was also a girl who is 24.
The duo own a stunning house in Buckinghamshire, which was originally built by the chocolatier Cadbury family, back in 1905.
Inside Dr Mosley’s 44-year love story with university sweetheart
By JOSHUA ROM
Nobody will have been more worried over the last five days than Dr Michael Mosley’s wife former GP Clare Bailey who has been with him for a love story that has lasted over four decades.
They first met at medical school and have been together for 44 years ever since.
He first studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at the University of Oxford before going onto become a banker in London.
After two years, he opted to go on a completely different career path in medicine to become a psychiatrist.
It was in 1980 when he started his course at UCL Medical School where he met the love of his life.
He previously told Sussex Living: “100 of us in the year and the Dean said four of you will marry, and I met Clare then.”
Together, the pair have four children who are now all grown-up which include two sons aged 33-years-old and 31.
They also welcomed a daughter who is 29-years-old and their youngest child was also a girl who is 24.
The duo live in a stunning house in Buckinghamshire, which was originally built by the chocolatier Cadbury family, back in 1905.
Clare is a medical professional in her own right and is known to have had a huge influence on the This Morning star’s eating habits.
She likened him to both ‘Labrador’ and her to a ‘Grey Hound’, as she admitted he never ate greens before they met and that she still has to hide chocolate from him.
In April she told The Times: “There were times when he would open a packet of biscuits and the whole lot would be gone.”
TRIBUTES
Tributes have been flooding in for the late star.
Former This Morning panelist and TALK presenter Julia Hartley Brewer was one of the first to pay tribute to the TV doctor.
She wrote: “This is very sad news.”
Before adding: “I interviewed Michael Mosley a few times about his Fast800 diet and he was an absolutely lovely man. My condolences to his family.”
Other stars from the world of showbiz also took to X – formerly known as Twitter – as they reacted to the news.
Sun columnist Piers Morgan, who previously presented ITV’s flagship breakfast show Good Morning Britain, wrote: “Body found in search for TV doctor Michael Mosley on Greek island of Symi. Very sad development.”
Longtime GMTV presenter Anthea Turner posted on Instagram: “I know you’ve been following Dr Michael Mosley’s story I’ve been glued to every update but this was the tragic news we all feared.
“With so much passion and a cheeky smile on his face he spent his life encouraging us all to make healthy choices.
“He wanted everyone to live a longer, better, more fulfilled life. His family will be broken, thinking of them and his friends on Symi.”
Meanwhile, TV presenter and The Sun columnist Ulrika Jonsson took to her Instagram story where she posted a screenshot of the star in action.
She wrote: “Such tragic news. What [a] lovely, lovely man. Thinking of his family.”
Loose Women presenter Kaye Adams wrote: “So sad to hear the news about Dr Michael Moseley. We really have lost one of the good guys.
“I’ve interviewed him countless times over the years and he was always the same- kind, interesting, interested and warm. Heartfelt condolences to his loved ones.”
Her former co-star panelist Katie Price also posted a picture of the star onto her story with the caption: “RIP.”
Academic and broadcaster Alice Roberts shared three pictures on social media with Dr Mosley, with whom she first worked with on her 2009 TV series Human Journey.
Prof Roberts wrote: “The fragility of life is so shocking.
“I’ve known Michael Mosley for many years – as a tv producer specialising in science and medicine. He was the executive producer of my 2009 series Human Journey.
“When he started presenting as well as producing, we made several science programmes together.
“And we met up at Hay Festival just 2 weeks ago.
“I can’t believe he’s gone. My thoughts are with his bereaved family.”
Author, TV writer and former doctor Adam Kay said it was “desperately sad” to hear a body had been found.
“My thoughts with his family – may his memory be a blessing,” Kay wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
DISAPPEARANCE
Locals at the chaotic scene told The Sun today it is “shocking” news amid the major search operation that has gripped the small island.
Dr Mosley had been last seen in haunting CCTV footage at 2pm on Wednesday leaving the village of Pedi and headed towards a rocky path.
For five days, the health expert seemingly disappeared without a trace, prompting a major search operation involving helicopters, divers, dogs, and drones.
The mayor of Symi, Eleftherios Papakalodouk, said he was on a boat when he spotted a body lying 20m above the Agia Marina beach.
He said he then called a nearby bar and instructed them to have a look.
Ilias Tsavaris, 38, the bar manager, who first saw the body, told The Sun: “I walked up 30 metres and I saw an image of a person, I said is that…I went closer and closer.
“I called the owners, him and the other guy, and they called the police.”
He continued: “He came from Pedi okay, and he didn’t come to the restaurant, if he had walked through there [the bar] we would have checked the cameras.”
Ilias added: “Rescuers had searched that area everyday with helicopters.”
Speaking about the discovery, mayor Papakalodouk said: “The body was found on land 10m from the beach, next to a plot fence, which is why it had not been found for so many days”.
Timeline of Dr Mosley’s disappearance
WEDNESDAY JUNE 5
- 1.30pm: Dr Mosley decides to walk home alone to his holiday home in the town of Symi after going for a swim at a beach
- 1.50pm: The walk home is said to take around 20 minutes from Saint Nikolaos beach despite the doctor never making it back
- 1.52pm: CCTV catches Dr Mosley walking past a shop in Pedi
- Approx 2.20pm: Witnesses claim to have seen Dr Mosley talking to an elderly man in the town with one other person present
- 2.30pm-5pm: Doc was last seen on a house camera on a treacherous path heading towards the Agia Marina
- 7.30pm: Dr Mosley’s wife, Dr Clare Bailey, raises the alarm and calls cops
THURSDAY JUNE 6
- 10.30am: Police file missing person report and the search gets underway
- 11am: Police appeal for any information
- 2pm: Six firefighters, a vehicle and a drone team were all seen arriving in Symi from Rhodes
- 7pm: Helicopters deployed over the island
- 8pm: First day of the search called off for the night
FRIDAY JUNE 7
- 7am Extra police squadrons, coast guard officials, specially-trained sniffer dogs and military helicopters helped in the search
- 5pm The first CCTV images are released of Dr Mosley with his umbrella near the Blue Corner bar
SATURDAY JUNE 8
- 7am Police launch a search of a new area of around 7km as they step up the hunt
- 10.50am: New CCTV is released showing Mosley leaving Pedi and heading towards mountainous path
- 11am Symi’s mayor says ‘no chance’ search will be called off until he is found
- 12pm Mosley’s wife Clare says the family will ‘not lose hope’ but confesses the last few days have been ‘unbearable’
- 3pm A helicopter joins the search effort in the mountains
SUNDAY JUNE 9
- 10.50am Body found in the search close to caves known as ‘The Abyss’
- 11am Police say they believe the body to be that of Dr Mosley
He told Greek outlet SKAI: “I don’t know what to say… 200 people are on this beach every day and many boats come and go every day.”
Dr Mosley’s distressed wife Claire was called in to give more details to rescuers last night.
Sources told The Mail on Sunday that she revealed he had a “khaki backpack and had his wallet, a bottle of water and a watch”.
Dr Mosley is believed to have left Saint Nikolas beach on Wednesday, where he had been with his wife Clare and two friends, before walking alone along a coastal path without his mobile phone to Pedi.
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