The wife of Michael Mosley has accepted a prize at the British Podcast Awards on his behalf saying she wishes “more than anything” he was at the event, and reminding the audience that life is short.
The TV doctor, broadcaster and columnist went missing while on holiday with Dr Clare Bailey Mosley on the Greek island of Symi over the summer, and his body was found days later.
Mosley, who fronted the BBC Radio 4 podcast Just One Thing, was honoured with the Hall of Fame Award at Outernet in central London.
Writer and GP Clare told the audience: “Firstly, I wish more than anything that Michael was here himself to be collecting this award.
“One of Michael’s very special gifts was also having the right words to use; he always knew the right thing to say, so I hope I can do him some justice this evening.”
She added that Mosley knew his podcast “really connected with people”, and “he loved the simplicity of the format and being able to genuinely help people”.
“The outpouring to me and my family in the last three months has shown us that it wasn’t just the podcast they loved, it was Michael too,” she said.
“His warmth and his guidance, but mainly they connected with Michael because they saw he was a really genuinely kind person. Unassuming and genuinely caring, that was Michael.”
Emergency services leaving Agia Marina in Symi, Greece, where the body of TV doctor and columnist Michael Mosley was discovered (Yui Mok/PA
Dr Clare then thanked people for their “messages, the letters and outpouring of love”, which has “really helped us as a family and we have been so comforted by them”.
She also said the prize “would have meant a great deal to Michael,” and also noted that the team at BBC Sounds helped make it something that “really resonates with people”.
Dr Clare added: “So thank you – and can I remind you all that life can be shorter than you ever imagine, and so if there’s one thing you do today, hug your loved ones, tell them they are loved, don’t ever take time for granted.”
Mosley was known for popularising the 5:2 diet, a form of intermittent fasting, through his book The Fast Diet, as well as his documentaries on the BBC and the show Trust Me, I’m A Doctor.
In July, the BBC honoured the qualified doctor turned science broadcaster with a day dedicated to him where presenters and audiences were encouraged to do “just one thing” to improve their wellbeing.
The broadcaster also released the special Michael Mosley: The Doctor Who Changed Britain, as well as an episode of Just One Thing, celebrating his career and life.
Mosley was discovered in a rocky area on Symi, part of the Dodecanese island chain, and it was later determined by Greek authorities that he died of natural causes.
An inquest into his death at age 67 on June 5 is set to take place in Buckinghamshire in November.