HE’S television’s Mr Reliable — the safe pair of hands called upon when cover is needed.
But Stephen Mulhern has now landed a big show of his own — the reboot of Noel Edmonds’ hit game show Deal Or No Deal.
In an exclusive chat while filming the series, Stephen, who was forced off air for a month after undergoing an emergency medical procedure last year, told me: “It’s funny because ITV have constantly said to me, ‘We want to find a big one for you’, and I think this is it.
“When this happened I had to pinch myself a couple times because it’s just by far the ultimate game show.
“Don’t forget I’ve been doing this, from kids’ TV on CITV, for nearly 30 years now, which is nuts.
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“This is the one that people are gonna be talking about.
“It’s really bizarre because this is the first time I’ve ever explained — because I keep myself to myself — but I was in hospital. I had to have those two weeks off Saturday Night Takeaway.
“Now we’re all right. But it wasn’t good. It was a bit of a worrying time.”
Since that incident in March 2022, Stephen has put in a string of measures to make sure he can stay the pace as he completes the long days of filming for Deal Or No Deal.
The show, under Noel’s care from 2005 to 2016 on Channel 4, sees a line-up of contestants play a game of luck.
They try to beat the banker to win money from one of 26 random boxes. It has now been made in 45 countries.
Stephen said: “This is honestly, for any presenter, the most taxing show.
“You’ve got to use every trick in the book because you know there will be people that will be crying, there’ll be people that will be angry, there’ll be people that’ll be gutted, people that are overjoyed.
"So you do come out and just go, ‘Wow, that was like a boxing match’.
"When I finish filming, I stay in the hotel next door and I just go to bed.”
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Stephen might need the down- time more than ever as an even bigger job could be on the horizon.
‘Crazy not to do it’
He is the favourite to replace Phillip Schofield on Dancing On Ice after Phil quit all his roles after admitting to an affair with a young runner on This Morning.
His former co-host, Holly Willoughby, is still yet to confirm if she will be joining the January production after upheaval in her own life.
Speaking for the first time about the prospect, Stephen said: “You know what, we are talking about Dancing On Ice, 100 per cent, but nothing’s been confirmed.
"I’d be crazy not to do it. Holly is a dream partner to work with.”
For now, he is focused on launching Deal Or No Deal, which hits screens next Monday.
As we chat behind the scenes of filming in Manchester, it is clear Stephen is captivated by the format and the players’ stories.
He said: “There’s just so many where I think, ‘When people see this, it’s going to be like a scene from Gogglebox’, because you just go, ‘Oh no!’.
"I tell you what, I also worried about what Noel was going to think.
“And then he sent a message and he just said, ‘You’re going to have the best time and you’re perfect for the job’, and so that was very humbling to hear.”
With so much invested in the show, how will he feel if his reboot is panned?
Stephen said: “I’ll be mortified, because it doesn’t deserve to be.”
lThe new series of Deal Or No Deal starts next Monday at 4pm on ITV1, ITVX and STV.
- The new series of Deal Or No Deal starts next Monday at 4pm on ITV1, ITVX and STV.
MY TRYOUT IN BOX SEAT
EVEN the most casual viewer of Deal Or No Deal has probably at one time considered how they’d play the famous mystery box game.
A hunch, perhaps, or a string of favoured numbers.
I had my own big plan when I was one of the lucky few to take on Stephen Mulhern’s brand new reboot of the ITV1 game show to try and beat the brand new banker.
As I confidently tell the man himself at the start of my own game: “I’m just going to go absolutely hog wild.”
I was treated to a glimpse of the pressure real players are under with a scaled back game, choosing just eight boxes before being asked that important question.
But as my random choices kept revealing a swift succession of high-ranking reds, I began grasping at straws.
With £4,000 and then £25,000 gone, I was thrilled to get £10 by simply choosing “box two, because it rhymes with blue”.
And therein lay my newly-minted strategy.
And, for a while, it worked.
Low-ranking blue box after blue box followed - until I foolishly fell into the ‘family members birthday’ trap.
Unlike a quizshow, where you fail or succeed based on your own knowledge, success at Deal Or No Deal replies purely on luck.
And it wasn’t on my side, with the banker offering me a pitiful £4,000 deal, leaving me to crash out.
Stephen was the saving grace - he’s an utterly delightful host for the format, bringing a new flavour to the Noel Edmondson classic and is the perfect fit for the classic show.
At least I didn’t have to leave as a member of the 1p club.
Playing Deal or No Deal turns you into a wannabe prophet.
But one thing’s for sure - the future of Stephen’s new Deal is bright.
NIGEL: NO TO YOUNG ONES NOW
YOUNG Ones actor Nigel Planner says the series could never be made now as the outrageous stunts would not meet health and safety rules.
Nigel, who played hippy student Neil in the Eighties sitcom alongside Rik Mayall, Adrian Edmondson and Christopher Ryan, said they had multiple close shaves.
He badly injured his neck and back in the famous Bambi episode that saw the four housemates compete on University Challenge, only to be crushed by a giant chocolate eclair in the final scene.
Nigel recalled: “You can see in the shot it lands on my neck because I’m taller than the other guys.
“Afterwards, I went to the osteopath and he said, ‘What seems to have happened to you?’.
"And I said, ‘Well, a giant eclair fell on my head’.”
That could have been a sticky end for Nigel.
IT’S THE ONE-DER OF WHO
WHEN Doctor Who rebooted in 2005, showrunner Russell T Davies took the brave step of calling it series one.
It was intended to signal a break from the original 26 seasons of the sci-fi favourite that ran on the BBC from 1963 to 1989.
Now, after 15 series of the “second coming”, which has seen Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, Matt Smith, Peter Capaldi and Jodie Whittaker play the lead role, he is doing the same again.
Ncuti Gatwa, takes over the Tardis on Christmas Day, and his run will also be known as series one.
“What fun that is, to be controversial,” Russell told SFX mag of the 2024 series.
I wonder if Whovians will love him or hate him for this.
LORRAINE TURMOIL
LORRAINE Kelly wrestles with her emotions in a documentary on the 1988 Lockerbie disaster.
The TV host reported from the scene after a Pan Am jet was blown up by a terrorist bomb and crashed on to the town in south-west Scotland.
In the new show, she explains her feelings after being shown a clip of her speaking to Lockerbie resident Gillian Moffat.
Lorraine says: “What Gillian said really resonated with me, that everybody is allowed to have some sort of trauma from this.
“But I was only there reporting on it. So I don’t feel as if I have the right to feel traumatised.”
Wednesday night’s Return To Lockerbie With Lorraine Kelly airs at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
ANTON'S JUDGE JUDY
FORMER Strictly contestant Judy Murray has revealed her dance partner Anton Du Beke inspired her to write.
The mum of double Wimbledon champion Andy has just written tennis-based novel The Wild Card.
Judy also told the Good Housekeeping Live event that now-Strictly judge Anton asked her for a second opinion after the first draft of his own book.
She said: “He sent it to me and said, ‘Have a read of that partner, let me know what you think.’ I returned it with detailed notes, as I’m a stickler for grammar.
“He said, ‘Could you not have just said, well done Anton?’ I told him, well you asked!”
Nice for Anton to get judge
