Lee Mack Criticized by Fans for His Refusal to Use a Fishing Hook on Gone Fishing Due to Veganism: ‘It’s akin to participating in Mastermind but refusing to answer questions’

Lee Mack has divided viewers after he stepped in to host Gone Fishing this week after Bob Mortimer was struck down by illness.

The hugely popular BBC Two show sees lifelong friends Bob, 64, and Paul Whitehouse, 65, embark on fishing adventures around the UK and share hilarious tales from their lives.

However, Bob was left unable to visit Burgh Island in Devon to film Sunday’s episode after being struck down by shingles.

Comedian Lee, 55, was roped in by pal Bob to co-host alongside Paul, 65, but chose to fish with a magnet instead of a hook, as he is a vegan.

Paul asked Lee at the beginning of the episode if they should ‘go and have a fish’ leading Lee to say: ‘This is why I was worried about doing it when Bob asked me to come: I don’t fish. 

Split: Lee Mack has divided viewers after he stepped in to host Gone Fishing this week after Bob Mortimer was struck down by illness

Huge hit: The popular BBC Two show sees lifelong friends Bob, 64, and Paul Whitehouse, 65, embark on fishing adventures around the UK and share hilarious tales from their lives

‘And when I say “I don’t fish”, I don’t mean, “I can’t fish – teach me, grasshopper.” I mean, I won’t fish; I’m a vegan.’

Paul replied: ‘Did Bob know this when he put you forward as a candidate or did everyone else say no?’

During the episode, Lee ends up participating in what he described as ‘vegan-friendly’ fishing with a magnet.

The choice in Bob’s replacement and his dietary ethics split viewers at home, who complained that Lee was no match for the chemistry between Bob and Paul, while others moaned: ‘No vegans on fishing shows please’.

One person wrote: ‘Does Lee Mack just say yes to everything? Why go on a fishing programme if you’re vegan and don’t fish?’

Another echoed: ‘I’ve nothing against Lee Mack but he wasn’t right for #gonefishing why have someone that doesn’t fish? I really hope that Bob recovered in time for the last episode.’

A third joked: ‘Asking Lee Mack onto #GoneFIshing , but refusing to fish (Vegan), is a bit like asking Kate Moss to host Man v Food.’

While a fourth agreed, writing: ‘Is Lee Mack a vegan? He should have mentioned it. Why go on a fishing programme if you refuse to fish. It’s like going on Mastermind and refusing to answer questions.’

Unwell: However, Bob was left unable to visit Burgh Island in Devon to film Sunday’s episode after being struck down by shingles (Lee and Paul are pictured in this week’s episode) 

New method: Comedian Lee, 55, was roped in by pal Bob to co-host alongside Paul, 65, but chose to fish with a magnet instead of a hook, as he is a vegan 

A fifth wrote: ‘Turned off #gonefishing. @LeeMack shouldn’t have gone on if he is vegan and refuses to fish. He’s just being annoying with his magnet ‘fishing ‘. Would have rather they missed an episode tbh than replace Bob. Get well soon Bob. We’ll wait for you’.

A sixth added: ‘Think that’ll go down as the worst episode of Gone Fishing, what’s the point having Lee Mack come on to ram him being a vegan down ya throat and not fish, pointless episode’.

Someone else complained: ‘Lee Mack utterly ruining Gone Fishing as a substitute for Bob. A bloody vegan lobbing a magnet in the sea and flying a kite whilst simultaneously being unfunny. What were the BBC thinking?’

And an eighth said: ‘#Gonefishing would it be possible to revisit this beautiful place with Bob and Paul, spoiled by Lee Mack’s presence, I hope lessons have been learned, no replacements, least not non fishing vegans’.

However, there were also lots of fans that praised Lee for his appearance on the show, saying it was interesting to hear a new perspective on fishing and criticising the backlash against him.

Fuming: The choice in Bob’s replacement and his dietary ethics split viewers at home, who complained that Lee was no match for the chemistry between Bob and Paul, while others moaned: ‘No vegans on fishing shows please’

One said: ‘We loved Lee Mack on #gonefishing tonight, very clever to show how to substitute for a vegan, a pastime that is more than fishing, chatting, good humour, peace and quiet, per substitute for Bob tonight’.

Another chimed in: ‘It was a shame @RealBobMortimer couldn’t be there for last night’s episode of #gonefishing, but Lee Mack wasn’t a bad substitution. Funny guy.’

A third echoed: ‘Opinions vary, Lee Mack was interesting, fishing to some extent as he pointed out is mindfulness, interesting hearing very different side to his stage persona, can’t understand why being vegan and Buddhist is so outrageous!’

A fourth person agreed, writing: ‘I’m a vegan. I love Lee Mack. If he wants to go on a fishing show and talk about being a vegan LET HIM. Y’know. Free speech and all that. He injected a different perspective which clearly made a lot of people uncomfortable. That’s what a good vegan does’.

A fifth tweeted: ‘Grown adults crying about lee Mack “ruining” their Sunday night because he stood on for an unwell mate on a fishing programme grow up lads’.

And a sixth declared: ‘Apparently, Lee Mack is vegan, had the temerity to stand in for a mate on a TV fishing show, and now some people on social media hate him. Such pathetically, empty, soulless husks.’

Defense: However, there were also lots of fans that praised Lee for his appearance on the show, saying it was interesting to hear a new perspective on fishing and criticising the backlash against him