Bob Mortimer pays tribute to “Boro legend” Chris Rea
Bob Mortimer has paid tribute to the ‘Driving Home for Christmas’ singer Chris Rea, calling him a “Boro legend”.
Rea passed away, aged 74, on December 22nd, following a short illness. Announcing the news in a statement, his family said: “It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Chris.”
They added: “He passed away peacefully in hospital earlier today following a short illness, surrounded by his family.”
Dozens of tributes subsequently flooded in for the star, and now comedian Mortimer has taken to X to also share his condolences.
He wrote on the platform: “So so sad. A lovely brilliant funny giant of a bloke. Oh Man….RIP Chris .. Boro legend forever. Love to family and friends.”
Alongside this, Mortimer also shared a seemingly bizarre photo of Rea lying in a bath surrounded by eggs, but this was linked to a running joke between the pair, when the comedian falsely claimed on the BBC panel show Would I Lie to You? that Rea would always put an egg in his bath.
Mortimer and Rea struck up a close friendship as they were both from Middlesbrough and were avid supporters of the town’s football club.
As such, in the late 1990s, they worked together to release a Middlesbrough-themed rewrite of Rea’s classic hit ‘Let’s Dance’, with Mortimer giving the lyrics a football makeover. The single subsequently hit number 44 in the UK charts.
Aside from Mortimer, Middlesbrough FC also released their own tribute to Rea following the news of his passing, sharing a photo of the singer performing while writing on X: “We’re deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Chris Rea. A Teesside icon. Rest in peace, Chris.”
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Music Newsletter
All the latest music news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.