THE MAN WHO HEALED THE NATION

From his world-famous 5:2 diet to cold showers, 'snack' exercising and swallowing tapeworms (to report firsthand on their effects), Michael Mosley revolutionised our physical and mental health. And his advice, writes one journalist who knew him well, came from the heart

- James Rampton

IT'S no understatement to say Michael Mosley was a man who changed thousands, if not millions of lives for the better. He may not have been the first TV doctor to grace our screens but his natural ebullience and enthusiastic dedication to improving the nation's health often through the experiments he trialled upon his own body made him one of the most respected and best-loved names in broadcasting.

Michael, who very sadly died of natural causes at the age of just 67 after going missing during a walk home on the Greek island of Symi last week, single-handedly transformed the health of a nation. Whether popularising his now world-famous 5:2 diet, swallowing magic mushrooms, undertaking strenuous high-intensity training sessions or investigating the side-effects of vaping, he brought knowledge, energy and insight to investigating medical problems.

Quite simply, he was passionate about making real changes in people's lives. He introduced effective ideas that individuals of all ages could follow - one example being his hugely popular Just One Thing podcast in which he promoted simple life hacks from deep breathing to the joys of singing to boost physical and mental health - based on proven scientific evidence.

But equally important is that all of his advice came from the heart. There was never any ego - just a willingness to seek answers.

Having interviewed thousands of famous people in my 35 years of journalism, I can say very few have made such an impact on me as Michael did.

And the outpouring of grief for the TV, radio and podcast presenter, who was always charming, charismatic and gifted with an encyclopaedic knowledge of science, proves many others felt exactly the same way.

DISPLAYED on programmes such as The One Show and This Morning, these qualities helped make Michael perhaps the most trusted doctor in the land.

He easily fell into the small, elite category of "national treasure".