'He changed my life': Ex-West Bromwich MP recalls how 'hero' Dr Michael Mosley helped him

Labour's former deputy leader, Lord Tom Watson, has paid tribute to Dr Michael Mosley after the TV presenter died on a Greek island.

Tributes have been paid to Dr Michael Mosley, who was sadly discovered dead after going missing on Wednesday, Photographer: Maia Krall-Fry

The body of Dr Mosley was found on the island of Symi on Sunday, four days after he was reported missing when he failed to return from a walk.

The 67-year-old was credited with changing the lives of thousands of people with the release of his fasting diet book 'The Fast Diet', with many saying that he was the reason they began their weight loss journey.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4s Today programme on Monday, Lord Watson, who himself went on a weight loss journey after being inspired by Dr Mosley, gave tribute to the late personality, saying that he had 'changed his life'.

The former West Bromwich East MP went through a dramatic weight loss programme, losing eight stone and reversing his type 2 diabetes diagnosis.

Lord Thomas Watson prior to completing his weight loss journey

Speaking on the radio programme, Lord Watson said: "He certainly changed my life. He gave me the idea that I wasn't broken.

"I remember the moment I first read his book, I read it on a Kindle on holiday in Spain. And it was this notion that you can, in some way reverse or put type-2 diabetes into remission with lifestyle changes and nutritional change."

Lord Watson went on to say that over the years he had become 'a real fan of his work' and that after reading his book 'it was like a light came into my life'.

Thomas Watson in 2019, after losing eight stone as part of a weigh loss journey

He added: "It was like a light came on in my life, and I just became a real fan of his work and, over the years, he's helped me maintain that and help millions of others.

"And that's what great journalism is: he explained very complex ideas of science in a very simple way."

Following his weight loss journey, Lord Watson met Dr Mosley, saying that it 'was like meeting a hero'.

Lord Watson said that meeting Dy Mosley was 'like meeting a hero'. Photo credit: Victoria Jones/PA Wire

Lord Watson said: "I met him and it was honestly like meeting a hero, he was a hero to me and I don't underestimate that.

"When you listen to him, it's just that gentle, authoritative, non-judgmental voice. He had this notion of Aristotelian wisdom where small changes in our daily lives created habits that had a big incremental impact, cumulative impact on our lives."

Lord Watson was West Bromwich East MP from 2001 to 2019. He is now Lord Watson of Wyre Forest and lives on the Worcestershire-Shropshire border near Bewdley.