Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
I’m A Celebscaredy
Mulhern admits the eating challenges on jungle show are too tough to swallow
ANT and Dec’s best pal Stephen Mulhern says they will struggle to lure him onto I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here because he is so scared of the eating tasks. The TV presenter appears on Saturday Night Takeaway alongside the duo and his inclusion in the jungle would make him an ideal choice for Ant and Dec to rib.
But they will have their work cut out, as Stephen, 44, told the Mirror: “I’ve never been asked on the jungle, but they know what I’m like, and I don’t know if you’re aware, but in terms of eating I’ve got a very, very plain palette and the thought of putting stuff in my mouth... I don’t know if I could do it. “I think that show is the only thing that could break me, because the idea of doing the stunts and the heights and the jumping out of a plane, that would have to be top dollar to even consider it.” Laughing, he added: “How much are we talking for me to do it? I can’t believe we are talking about this but how about £3million and I’ll do it?! All right if you can get half, I’m in!”
EMOTIVE
Stephen, who hosts Catchphrase on ITV, is on screen this weekend for the third series of In For A Penny, where he sets the public challenges on the street to win money. In Sheffield during week one he gives them the chance to win anything from the price of their petrol to £1,000 in the final game. It is light-hearted fun but he also says occasionally he would like to be taken seriously on TV.
He has set his sights on hosting a show similar to Noel’s Christmas Presents, which helped make people’s dreams come true. He said: “It showed an emotive side and that’s what I’d love to do. “I care about my family, I care about my job, I care about my friends, and it’s always the fun side of things, which I don’t think is a bad thing, but the only other thing that is missing is where people get to see the side that maybe my family or my friends get to see.” Stephen said he is relieved lockdown is being relaxed as like many others he had Christmas dinner on Zoom with his family. He has now seen his parents face-to-face for the first time in months. Stephen said: “It was so nice. I could see their shoulders seem to go back, just that relief.” In For A Penny starts on ITV on Saturday night at 7pm.