Tributes to ‘courageous friend of humanity’ Dr Michael Mosley after body found in search for TV presenter

Tributes to Dr Michael Mosley have poured in from colleagues, academics and people helped by his journalism to lead healthier lives, after a body was found in the search for the missing TV presenter.

The 67-year-old disappeared after going for a walk in searing heat on Wednesday afternoon without his phone while on holiday in the Greek island of Symi.

Following a major search, a body was found near the coastline on Sunday, close to a bar near Agia Marina beach, which is surrounded by hilly and rocky terrain that runs down to the sea. While formal identification was still pending, the island’s deputy mayor Nikitas Grillis said: “It is certainly him.”

As reports of the discovery emerged, those who had worked with Dr Mosley and others helped by his work paid tribute to the presenter and expressed their condolences to his family, who had been taking part in the search on Symi.

“The fragility of life is so shocking,” said fellow presenter Professor Alice Roberts. “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.”

Celebrity chef and healthy eating campaigner Jamie Oliver praised the work Mosley had done for public health with his broadcasting and research.

Oliver wrote on Instagram: “What a wonderfully sweet, kind and gentle man he was. He did such a lot of good for public health with his TV shows and research.

“He was a curious investigator, producer and presenter and often changed the conversation around many public health issues for the better.

“He will be sadly missed... love and thoughts to Claire and all of his family.”

Former Labour deputy leader Tom Watson said: “It’s hard to describe how upset I am by this news. Through courageous, science-based journalism, Michael Mosley has helped thousands of people get well and healthy. I’m one of them.

“He was a hero to me. He will be deeply missed. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.”

Journalist Marc Fenell said: “Over the years I’d had the great pleasure of interviewing Michael Mosley a few times and I gotta tell you he was a truly generous, curious, warm-hearted man who cared as much about people themselves as the science that could help them. Very sad news.”

Journalist and Lib Dem candidate John Sweeney added: “RIP Michael Mosley, a lovely, intelligent friend of humanity.”

Author and former doctor Adam Kay said: “Desperately sad news about Michael Mosley. My thoughts with his family – may his memory be a blessing.”

Academic Dr Joanna Warner said she had sat near Dr Mosley at the Hay festival only a few weeks earlier, adding: “He was so friendly. Most importantly, we have lost a superb public communicator about health who could cut through the BS and who stood firmly by evidence. He will be missed.”

Womens Equality Party co-founder Catherine Mayer said: “Michael Mosley made one of the most joyous and genuinely significant pieces of television about how attitudes to age impact physical ageing. I’m sorry he won’t get to practice what he learned. Huge sympathies to his wife and family.

BBC News producer Betty Redondo added: “Incredibly sad. It’s thanks to Michael Mosley that I – like many thousands of people – reversed my diabetes through diet / intermittent eating and have not had to take medication since. He helped a lot of people with his research.”

Dr Mosley is known for being a columnist for the Daily Mail and has made a number of films about diet and exercise.

The broadcaster fronted the Channel 4 show Michael Mosley: Who Made Britain Fat? and was part of the BBC series Trust Me, I’m A Doctor.

He also lived with tapeworms in his gut for six weeks for the documentary Infested! Living With Parasites on BBC Four, and has promoted ketogenic dieting and the benefits of cold showers in his work.

His co-presenter on Trust Me, I’m A Doctor, Dr Saleyha Ahsan, described him as a “hugely talented” man, telling the BBC: “Michael’s a national treasure and he’s so personable.”

Recalling how Dr Mosley put her at ease while she was doing an on-camera audition for the series, Dr Ahsan said: “I can now appreciate that’s a one-off, not everyone is able to make other people feel so at ease with lights and cameras in front of them.

“But then to forget about all of that and just to focus on the science, on the story, on the message that we’re trying to get out, is such a talented man, hugely talented.”

Praising his “passion for explaining science to a wider audience”, Dr Ahsan said: “Making it accessible to anyone and everyone, not just a niche scientific crowd, but to everyone.”