Fans up and down the country were saddened to hear of the shocking death of Dr Michael Mosley aged 67, which was confirmed by his wife Dr Clare Bailey Mosley on Sunday 9 June.
The 5:2 Fast Diet author - known for his appearances on This Morning, The One Show and Just One Thing - passed away during a holiday in Symi, Greece with his wife, to whom he had been married for almost forty years.
Clare and Michael had swum in the ocean at Saint Nikolaos beach on 5 June before he set out to walk back to their holiday home, shielding from the hot weather with an umbrella.
After he failed to return that evening, she raised the alarm of his disappearance and an "unbearable" four-day search ensued before his body was found next to a fence near a popular restaurant in Agia Marina beach. He is believed to have taken a wrong turn during his walk and passed away from natural causes.
Clare released a statement following the "devastating" news that her husband had died, describing him as "wonderful" and "brilliant."
"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," she began.
Commenting on his disappearance and death, she continued: "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."
Clare concluded her heartfelt message by stating: "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."
Micheal leaves behind his loving wife and their four children. Take a look back at The Fast 800 author's marriage…
A private life
In the weeks following his tragic death, Dr. Clare revealed Michael Mosley would have been “gobsmacked" at the outpouring of affection following his death, explaining: "He didn't seek the limelight. He was quite shy, but loved what he did, and was very good at it."
She added that she was amazed by the "incredible" support from their children, saying: "I can’t tell you how much support they’ve given me and joy as well at really difficult times. And family and friends, and to be honest just I’m still kind of breath-taken by the response from people around the country, across the world, and it’s just extraordinary.
"He was quite a sort of quiet, humble man, and to have that sort of response is just extraordinary, and I hope we can find some really positive changes going forward."
University sweethearts
Despite establishing himself as a medical journalist, Micheal's career path wasn't always so straightforward. He studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at the University of Oxford and worked as a banker in London for several years before returning to university to pursue a career in medicine.
It was at UCL Medical School in 1980 that he met and fell in love with Clare. "100 of us in the year and the Dean said four of you will marry, and I met Clare then," Michael told Sussex Living.
The man behind the Fast 800 diet shared more rare details about his love life in an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald in 2019. "I had my heart broken many times before I met my wife, Clare, on my first day at medical school at the Royal Free Hospital in London. She was 18 and I was 23. We got married in 1987 and have been together for 34 years."
Little is known about their wedding, with the couple preferring to promote their careers on social media.
Buckinghamshire family home
Michael and Clare's home in Buckinghamshire was originally built by the Cadbury family back in 1905. They often shared cooking videos inside the property as they encouraged fans to get on board with healthy eating, using fresh fruit and vegetables they grew in their garden.
GP Clare is said to have helped transform her husband's eating habits, with Micheal admitting to Sussex Living: "When I met Clare I had an absolutely appalling diet. I used to eat pink salami in white bread every day for lunch."
He added: "I am more of a Labrador, she is more of a Greyhound." Clare joked she hides the chocolate in their house to help keep his sweet tooth from dictating his diet.
The home – which they previously shared with their four grown-up kids – also served as the perfect workspace for the pair, who collaborated on many business projects together. These include their show Eat (Well), Sleep (Better), Live (Longer) and the Fast 800 books.
Michael previously explained that they worked from separate wings of the house and "would meet for coffee." Clare added: "Honestly, it has been a real pleasure."
Michael's kids
During their 37-year marriage, Michael and Clare welcomed Alex, 33, Jack, 31, Daniel, 29, and Kate, 24. All four of his children flew to Greece to support their mother after hearing of his disappearance.
In a rare admission about his family life, Micheal told The Sydney Morning Herald: "Clare and I have raised four children. Our daughter Kate is exactly like her mother – sociable and very likeable. We also have three sons, Alex, Jack and Daniel. Clare and I share a lot of interests.
"She has a strong curiosity about the world and likes to question things. She is very funny but when she’s cross with me, she’s very cross."
The couple celebrated their eldest son Alex's engagement in 2022, sharing photos of their lavish carrot and cream cheese cake alongside details of their balanced celebratory meal.
"So exciting to get family together to celebrate our son and his wonderful girlfriend getting engaged!" Clare wrote, adding: "We fed guests with the Quick Veggie Chilli from page 191 of The Fast 800 Easy and, increasing the quantities by 10!...
"I thought I would share a pic of the elegant carrot cake with a cream cheese filling created by my talented sister-law and niece. Not quite Keto but it shouldn’t send the sugars soaring, especially when eaten after the meal!"
One of Michael's final interviews with The Telegraph in April revealed that he was looking forward to living a long and healthy life to spend time with his grandchildren – something his father was unable to do following his death aged 74.
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"When my GP told me I should start medication, it shouldn't have been a shock, because my dad had developed diabetes around the same age. And he then died. I shouldn't have been shocked, but I was," the health guru told The Telegraph, referencing his type 2 diabetes diagnosis in 2012, which he managed to reverse by overhauling his diet.
"I had seen what happened to my father. He hadn’t seen his grandkids grow up. I thought, 'That’s not a road I want to go down'," he said.