Michael Mosley’s last, poignant TV series captures his zest for life
Mosley investigates heart disease, embodies enthusiasm in final TV series
Michael Mosley: Wonders Of The Human Body (Channel 5), Watching Dr Michael Mosley, Channel 5’s cherished medical expert, full of life and energy in footage filmed months before his tragic passing during a holiday, stirs a mix of emotions.
It’s poignant to see his concern about his own mortality, heart-wrenching to observe him engaging in experiments and fitness tests, yet it’s also uplifting to witness his boundless enthusiasm for life. No presenter relished his subject more — our health, his own health, the wonders of medicine, and new scientific advances — than Dr Mosley, nor communicated it better.
In the first episode of this three-part series, he visited Oxford University to investigate whether he was developing heart disease. This prospect visibly unsettled him. His father had died from cardiac disease at 74. Michael, aged 66 during filming, confessed he was sleepless the night before his heart test results: ‘I was really, really worried.’
In one of his final TV projects, much-loved and admired Dr. Michael Mosley takes a journey around the human body, putting his own to the test to help viewers understand their own.
📺 Michael Mosley: Wonders of the Human Body, Thursday 8pm pic.twitter.com/DWP1sIshX4
— Channel 5 (@channel5_tv) August 22, 2024
A dye was injected into his bloodstream, followed by a CT scan to check his arteries. Alarmingly, the scan revealed plaque build-up, narrowing crucial blood vessels. ‘What I’m looking at is a ticking time bomb,’ he commented, ‘a potential heart attack on the horizon.’
However, the scan also showed the plaques were stable and unlikely to rupture, which could have been instantly fatal. His risk of a heart attack within eight years was estimated at 5.9 per cent.
A tragic irony overshadowed the show. In June this year, while on holiday with his wife Claire in Crete, he walked in the intense afternoon heat and apparently succumbed to it. Despite a frantic search, his body was not found for several days.
Seeing him in his exuberant prime in this series, it’s almost unimaginable that he had so little time left.
He leapt into a bath fully clothed, announcing that the average human mouth produces enough saliva in three months to overflow the tub.
He then visited another medical lab where a camera was inserted down his nose into his throat.
As he chatted, giggled, and gargled, viewers saw how his epiglottis — a flap of pink flesh — prevented food and saliva from entering his air passage.
A close-up of him swallowing a bite of banana was slightly off-putting, as Love Islanders would say, but also strangely fascinating.
Though he hesitated at the thought of a dip in the icy North Sea off the Ayrshire coast, he donned a wetsuit for a cold water immersion in the relatively warmer waters of Bath, Somerset.
He also sent shoppers around a DIY store, pushing trolleys with heart monitors built into the handles.
It was all great fun, informative, and a bit quirky. There will never be anyone quite like him.
What Other Media Are Saying
- NewsNow reports on Michael Mosley’s latest health advice, emphasizing the benefits of intermittent fasting and its impact on weight loss, diabetes, and heart health.(read more)
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some common questions asked about this news
What was Michael Mosley known for?
He was a medical expert and TV presenter known for explaining health, medicine, and science.
What was Michael Mosley investigating in the first episode of ‘Wonders Of The Human Body’?
He was at Oxford University to check if he was developing heart disease.
What indicated a potential heart attack risk for Michael Mosley?
A CT scan showed plaque buildup in his arteries, posing a risk for heart disease.
What was the outcome of Michael Mosley’s heart disease test?
His overall risk of a heart attack within eight years was calculated at 5.9%.
How did Michael Mosley pass away?
He died from apparent heat exposure while on holiday in Crete.
