This weekend Michael Mosley's family were given the heartbreaking news they had been dreading, as the health guru was found dead following a gruelling five day search.
The much-loved TV doctor sparked an outpouring of concern after he was reported missing while on holiday on the Greek island Symi. A search mission was launched after Michael failed to make it back to his holiday home after setting off on a walk to the centre of the island on Wednesday - crucially without his mobile phone. His wife Dr Clare Bailey raised the alarm after he failed to arrive at their accommodation several hours after they parted ways.
The doctor was seen in his final moments on CCTV by a beach restaurant walking down a slope close to a perimeter fence before falling out of view. His body was found at around 10:30am on Sunday by a restaurant manager after being missed by a search and rescue helicopter.
His wife Clare said in a heartbreaking post after the news of his death was confirmed that she and their children sought comfort in the fact he 'very nearly made it.'
Here's what we know about the TV doctor's final moments.
Wife's heartbreaking tribute
Dr Clare Bailey Mosley confirmed her TV doctor and columnist husband had been found dead, and shared a heartbreaking message. A statement from Dr Bailey Mosley confirming the death of her husband 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. 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.”
Last sighting
He was last seen on Wednesday lunchtime when he headed on a walk after spending time with wife Clare at Agios Nikolaos beach on the island. Leaving behind his phone, Michael took only a bottle of water, his wallet and an umbrella in his rucksack. He headed towards Pedi and CCTV picked him up walking through the village.
The last sighting was security camera footage from a house at the end of the bay in Pedi which showed him striding up a hill towards Agia Marina. The walk from St Nicholas beach to where the body was found is around three miles and would have taken a couple of hours.
How did he die?
Michael's body was found by staff at a beach bar after being alerted by the island’s mayor. Eleftherios Papakalodouka had joined a Greek TV crew to film the coastline where the search was taking place when they spotted something “unusual”. Bar manager Ilias Tsavaris said he had been sent up to have a look following the alert when he saw the ‘glint from a watch’ and a body.
His body was found behind a small wall and chain link fence which circles the secluded, picturesque resort of Agia Marina. He had veered off a rocky path which leads to the bar and it is believed he may passed out in the 40C heat or fallen on the dangerous terrain. If he had managed to make it another few yards, then he would have reached the sea and a gate into the resort. The distinctive purple umbrella he had been carrying at the time was close to him.
It has emerged that there is CCTV footage of Dr Mosley slowly making his way down the rocks by the Agia Marina. The grainy footage is believed to show him in the distance making his way down before he disappears behind the wall. The footage has been passed to local police.
Childhood and education
Michael was born in India, with his father working as a banker and his grandfather being an Anglican bishop. He went to boarding school in England at the age of seven. The TV star went on to study Philosophy, Politics and Economics at New College, Oxford. After university, he worked as a banker in London for two years.
However, he decided he wanted to move into medicine and intended to become a psychiatrist. He went on to study at the Royal Free Hospital Medical School, now part of UCL Medical School. Upon graduating, Michael realised the career wasn't for him and so joined a trainee assistant producer scheme at the BBC in 1985.
TV career
He started his role at the BBC by producing a series of science programmes including The Human Face and engineering series Inventions That Changed the World hosted by Jeremy Clarkson. Michael presented Blood and Guts, Medical Mavericks and The Story of Science for television. He then became the subject of documentary, 10 Things You Need to Know about Losing Weight.
In 2010 he produced and presented the BBC Two television series The Story of Science: Power, Proof and Passion. Throughout the years, he continued to present and make other health shows and most recently hosted Lose a Stone in 21 Days for Channel 4 in 2021. He also starred in Michael Mosley : Who Made Britain Fat? in 2022 and this year his programme Michael Mosley: Secrets Of Your Big Shop aired.
Unusual experiments
Michael never shied away from getting involved in his own experiments. He made himself the subject of strange tests on his shows, such as eating a black pudding made from his own blood and injecting snake venom into his bloodstream to observe its clotting effects. In another BBC Four documentary titled Infested! he infected himself with parasites, including tapeworms, to study their impact on the human body.
In the 2011 documentary, The Brain: A Secret History, Michael actually went as far as having parts of his own brain shut off during a process known as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Earlier this year he opened up on the test in an article penned for the Mail Online. He recalled: "If the UCL team hadn't already done it on themselves dozens of times, I'm not sure I'd have agreed to this, and I admit being pretty nervous – and a little anxious – about the idea of letting someone interfere with my brain.
"Despite my fears about brain-scrambling, when the device turned it on, it actually felt a bit like someone hitting my head with a soft toy." In 2024, Michael revealed he cured his own insomnia using bright lights. He also put himself through a vampire facelift and admitted to BBC News that "the improvement was not impressive enough to make me want to do it again."
Home life with wife and kids
Michael and medical expert wife Dr Clare Bailey had been together for 44 years. She works as a GP and teamed up with her husband for a health plan called The Fast 800. They met each other while at medical school. "100 of us in the year and the Dean said four of you will marry, and I met Clare then," Michael told Sussex Living magazine in January.
Michael and Clare share four grown-up children, sons aged 33, 31 and 29, and a 24-year-old daughter. The couple live Buckinghamshire, in a property built by the Cadbury family back in 1905. The mum-of-four is known to have a huge influence on Michael's eating habits, as they both liken him to a 'Labrador' and her to a 'Grey Hound'.
Michael never ate greens before they met and Clare previously revealed she still has to hide chocolate from her husband. "We say that he's a labrador because they eat anything," she told The Times in April. "There were times when he would open a packet of biscuits and the whole lot would be gone."
The couple have previously shared a look into their daily lives together as they enjoy a glass of red wine together on the weekend, with favourite dinners including fish and greens. They start their mornings with seven minutes of exercise, usually consisting of planks and push-ups, before a breakfast made up of eggs. Michael is also a fan of love marmalade on toast but fasts once a week and avoids eating three hours before bed. Speaking about working together, Michael explained that they work from separate wings of the house and "would meet for coffee." Clare added: "Honestly, it has been a real pleasure."
Diets and health advice
He's widely recognized for bringing the 5:2 diet into the limelight, a regimen involving intermittent fasting, through his book The Fast Diet, co-written with journalist Mimi Spencer. Michael also champions The Fast 800 diet, promoting a "moderately low-carb, Mediterranean-style diet" in another of his books.
Award-winning work
Throughout his career, Michael has been given a series of awards. In 1995, he was named Medical Journalist of the Year by the British Medical Association. He was nominated for an Emmy as an Executive Producer for The Human Face with John Cleese that also featured celebrities like Elizabeth Hurley, Pierce Brosnan, and David Attenborough.
Own health conditions
The doctor, who regularly appears on This Morning, previously revealed he is not immune to health conditions as he was once diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. At a time when Michael was overweight, he had early signs of fatty liver disease. Once he radicalised his diet, he managed to reverse it, along with his type 2 diabetes. Speaking with the Mirror, he said: "Eleven years ago, when I discovered that I had type 2 diabetes, I also had a scan that revealed I had early signs of fatty liver disease. Both the diabetes and the fatty liver went away once I went on the 5:2 diet and lost 9kg."
Net worth
A number of figures have been floated for the star's worth. But Nottinghamshire Live reports that according to numerous sources, Michael is worth between $3 and $5 million - which is around £2.3 million to £3.9 million.
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