23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Stephen Mulhern broke down in first TV show since death of his dad Christopher
Stephen Mulhern has opened up about his upcoming ITV documentary special The Accidental Tourist
Stephen Mulhern has revealed that he cried in his first TV show following the death of his dad, Christopher.
The 48-year-old presenter is known for appearing on Britain's Got More Talent, Saturday Night Takeaway, Dancing on Ice, In for a Penny and Catchphrase.
Now, viewers will see a more emotional side to Stephen in the upcoming ITV special, The Accidental Tourist, which will air later this year.
The one-off documentary sees Ant and Dec send Stephen to somewhere he has never been before, in an effort to help test his resolve and push his boundaries.
Stephen arrives in South Korea, where he will encounter epic locations, exotic cultures and cuisines, incredible people and places, and exhilarating activities he would never have chosen for himself.
The show was filmed just after Stephen's dad, Christopher, passed away last year. Speaking to the Mirror, Stephen opened up about the raw emotions he felt at the time, saying: "No one's ever seen me cry on the telly.
"But it was quite nice to not be behind a format, I've never done that. You're going to see behind the razzle-dazzle, if you like. People have thankfully seen me on TV for nearly 25 years, but they may go, 'Well, what's he like at home? Is he going out with someone?'
"I'm at the very centre of this, and it's scary. They film and they film and they film and they just get everything. I think what you're going to see is a lot of emotion. You'll see me totally out of my comfort zone."
It reportedly took ITV bosses over three years to persuade Stephen to take part in the show, with the star now revealing that he is "gutted" that his father won't be able to see how his adventures panned out.
"My dad had just passed away, so that's the only thing. I'm gutted that he didn't see it," he said."
The Accidental Tourist has been compared to the hit Sky travel series, An Idiot Abroad, which saw comedians Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant make their friend Karl Pilkington travel around the globe, while monitoring his progress from the UK.
Addressing the comparisons, Stephen explained: "The difference is that I got very emotional because of the timing.
"I'm not very worldly. I don't travel a lot. And my body's been used to eating plain food."
The star continued: "The food was just horrific, we'd try things like octopus, fish, penis, something they dug out the very bottom of the sea and like a worm that's wriggling, but when you squeeze it squirts water.
"When I came back, I couldn't eat for two and a half weeks. I literally couldn't stomach anything - I lost half a stone."
The experience was so challenging that Stephen nearly quit halfway through, but managed to continue filming.
On whether he'd do it again, Stephen candidly said: "The answer is, I don't know."
