Stephen mulhern breaks down in tears in new itv show following dad's death

THE TV PRESENTER CRIED FOR THE FIRST TIME ON SCREEN AFTER THE DEATH OF HIS DAD CHRISTOPHER 11:10, 23 May 2025 Stephen Mulhern broke down during his first TV appearance since the death of his

dad Christopher. 'The Accidental Tourist', a one-off travelogue special for ITV1 and ITVX featuring the 48-year-old presenter, will show viewers a more sensitive side to Stephen,

as the show was filmed shortly after his dad's death last year. Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, Stephen's mates from 'Saturday Night Takeaway', take him on an

unexpected journey to South Korea. The trip challenges him to break out of his comfort zone by sampling foods he's not fond of. In an interview with the Daily Mirror, Stephen admitted:

"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. Article continues below "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." The 'Catchphrase' host takes great pride in participating in 'The Accidental Tourist', a project which

took three years to convince him to undertake. However, he expressed his deep regret that his father could not witness his adventures in South Korea. Stephen became choked with emotion,

confessing: "My dad had just passed away, so that's the only thing. I'm gutted that he didn't see it." Initially, the 'You Bet! presenter was hesitant to take

part in the series, which has drawn comparisons to the popular Sky travelogue programme 'An Idiot Abroad'. In the latter show, comedians Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant sent

their actor friend Karl Pilkington on a journey around the globe to participate in various absurd activities. Stephen was considered an ideal candidate for the show by Ant and Dec due to his

lack of worldly experience, having only taken holidays in Florida, and his body being accustomed to consuming plain foods. He explained: "The difference is that I got very emotional

because of the timing. Article continues below "I'm not very worldly. I don't travel a lot. And my body's been used to eating plain food." Upon his return from South

Korea, Stephen said the food he ate in South Korea was "horrific" and said he lost weight after the trip. He said: "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."