Stephen Mulhern has spoken about the worrying illness that saw him forced to take weeks out of the spotlight back in 2022.
The 48-year-old presenter appeared on ITV’s Lorraine today (December 12) to promote his new series, Accidental Tourist, which sees him travel to Asia.
While Stephen was in South Korea, he visited a fortune teller. And they knew a significant amount about his personal life, including details of the illness that saw him take time out of his regular Saturday Night Takeaway guest slot…
Stephen Mulhern reveals he was ‘very unwell’
Speaking on Friday’s edition of Lorraine, Stephen explained: “She told me stuff that she could not Google, and it’s serious stuff.
“It was like… I was very unwell and I had to take time off Saturday Night Takeaway. And she was telling me stuff that actually, I was like: ‘Oh my goodness. How do you know that?’ I’ve never spoken about it in interviews. This is why you’ve got to see the show.”
Stephen Mulhern’s health battles
The popular presenter has previously kept his health private, but ongoing illnesses have seen him forced off screens.
In 2022, Stephen had to spend time off screen recovering on ‘doctor’s orders’, seeing him taking time out of his regular segment on Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway.
After three weeks absent, Stephen issued a rare statement on X (formerly known as Twitter). But he didn’t reveal any details of what was wrong.
“Hello all. Sorry I’ve been quiet on here recently and thank you for all your lovely messages. I’ve had some time off and been resting up on doctor’s orders. I’m on the mend, I’m happy to say, and looking forward to getting back to work soon. In the meantime, I’ll put my feet up and watch Saturday Night Takeaway tonight with the rest of you lot. Please don’t miss me too much!”
Second setback
Meanwhile, last year, Stephen faced yet another health setback. Following the death of his beloved father, Stephen reportedly collapsed while in a restaurant and was rushed to hospital.
A spokesperson for Stephen said at the time: “Stephen has had an incredibly tough time over the past few weeks. His beloved father recently passed away, which has hit him very hard and has been understandably very stressful.
“In addition, he had a procedure. Following the anaesthetic that was administered, he had a few drinks, which made him unwell, and he was taken in to hospital as a precaution. He’s now back home recovering.”
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When is Accidental Tourist on screen?
Accidental Tourist sees Stephen travel around the world in a bid to broaden his horizons.
A synopsis for the series reads: “Throughout his travels, Ant and Dec will be checking in with Stephen from afar, taking their cue from viral clips and setting him quirky and often mischievous challenges to test his resolve and push his boundaries.
“These mean that Stephen will encounter epic locations, exotic cultures and cuisines, incredible people and places, and exciting activities he would have never chosen for himself.
“Will Ant and Dec help Stephen go on a journey of self-discovery, or will he discover he was right all along?”
Accidental Tourist begins on Sunday, 14 December, on ITV1 and ITVX.
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