Michael Mosley has become a self-tested health advocate on TV and radio, ingesting tapeworms for a documentary and then swallowing a camera to examine the worm wriggling in his intestines, as well as experimenting with e-cigarettes, magic mushrooms, leeches and snake venom, all in the name of TV science.
Mosley, a doctor by training, was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2012 and used intermittent fasting to reverse his condition, documenting the process on camera.
Mimi Spencer, who co-wrote a book on dieting with Mosley, said Mosley's approach helped to simplify a difficult issue. “His methodology was to take a complex idea and make it much more usable and accessible,” she told BBC Radio 4's World This Weekend. She added: “He used himself as a human guinea pig. He did it because he was fascinated by the science, but he was also really interested in getting people to understand a story.”
It worked: His book, “The Fast Diet,” which he co-authored with Spencer, has sold 1.4 million copies, his latest book, “Four Weeks to Better Sleep,” has topped the best-seller charts, and his radio and podcast series on health and well-being tips, “Just One Thing,” is the BBC's most popular podcast, with more than 25 million listeners.
Mosley took a circuitous route to writing and broadcasting about health. Born in Calcutta, India, in 1957, he studied PPE at Oxford University, where his classmates included Theresa May and Damien Green. After graduating he became a banker before retraining as a doctor, where he met his future wife, Clare Bailey.
She became a GP, but Mosley thought a career with the BBC might suit him better – he worked as a producer on science programmes such as Tomorrow's World and Horizons – but his real success came when he moved in front of the camera.
These days, Mosley and Bailey are co-writing a book about food, performing a stage show together, and have four children together.
Professor Andrew Steptoe, director of behavioural science and health at University College London, who appeared on Mosley's show several times, said: “He did a fantastic job evangelising about health promotion and disease prevention. He was very focused on encouraging people to do things that would improve their health and reduce their risk of disease before it happened.”
Asked about the success of Just One Thing last month, Mosley told Radio Wales: “I've been really surprised by how popular it has been, but it's really nice to have the opportunity to speak to experts and try things out. I've actually tried them all. Some of them have worked, some haven't. I'm still trying most of them, but I try them in order.”
The show began during the coronavirus lockdown when Mosley converted a room in his Buckinghamshire home into a makeshift sound studio, muffling it with clothes from his wife's wardrobe. Since then, the show has presented more than 90 health tips per 15-minute episode, covering all the latest health fads, including green tea, flax seeds, olive oil, skipping rope, planks and turmeric.
But they also reflect Mosley's interest in mental health: there are stories about volunteering, reading poetry, playing instruments, being kind and laughing.
When asked about his favorite “Just One Thing” tip, Mosley replied, “Slow, deep breathing. It's truly been life-changing. For the last 30 years, I've struggled to sleep. I found that if I took a deep breath, I was able to fall asleep again within a few minutes.”
The success of the series led the BBC to commission a television version, which was due to be broadcast in the autumn before Mr Mosley's death. Mr Mosley said he had filmed episodes including dancing in Blackpool and walking with Nordic poles in the Lake District.
Mr Steptoe said: “He thought about health holistically – not just about behaviours like exercise and diet, but also about how we can support people's morale and mental health. In my last extended interview with him last fall, we spoke about the importance of staying involved in social relationships and purposeful activities. He spoke very warmly about his wife and family and I offer my deepest condolences on their loss.”
Ms Spencer added: “What has happened is excruciatingly sad and my heart goes out to Claire and his family. He has spoken to me on many occasions about what his children are going through. They are very precious to him and I know they are going through a very difficult time right now. My heart is with them today.”
