In for a Penny
Stephen Mulhern on why his hit street game show has lost none of its unique charm…
Stephen Mulhern is delighted to don his glittering gold jacket again and bring some more sparkle to our Saturday evenings with the return of his popular portable ITV game show, In for a Penny.
The third series – which was filmed last summer adhering to social-distancing guidelines – sees the irrepressible presenter take to the streets of Torquay, Cambridge, Sheffield, Chester, Barry Island, Blackpool and Southampton to surprise members of the public with various madcap activities.
Alongside the return of fan favourites Pump It Up, Mum’s the Word and Weigh to Go, there are also a host of brand-new challenges including Pet Bet (see box, right), Sausage Roll and Pound Pong. And, of course, there’s still the epic end game where all players need to take part is a penny for the chance to win a £1,000!
Here, Stephen, 44, tells TV
Times how his show will spread a little happiness…
How thrilled are you to be back with a new series of In for a Penny?
I’m even more excited than normal because we really thought we wouldn’t be able to do it because of COVID. At the moment, everything is about being noncontact and social-distancing, but a show like In for a Penny is the opposite! It has always been about me really interacting with the players and being able to celebrate the moment someone wins a grand. So it meant that we had to work on new, socially distanced games, but they are honestly some of the funniest games we’ve ever had.
Were people still as up for accepting the challenges?
Totally! When we got back out onto the streets to play, people instantly responded. If this past year has taught us anything, it’s that life’s too short, so they were all keen to just have a go. And I think it was a relief for people that, amidst all the doom and gloom, we can still have a good laugh. I know all eyes will be on whether the show is COVIDSAFE, and, for us, it was safety first and fun a very close second.
What changes did you make?
Well, I now have a pair of gold sparkly gloves. Whatever changes we made had to fit in with the celebratory idea of the show – and blue latex gloves don’t exactly scream entertainment! So, this series, along with my gold sparkly jacket, I now have gold sparkly gloves, which I use in the game Weigh to Go, where players have to guess the weight of their luggage. One guy’s suitcase contained cheddar cheese, tubs of ham and a stained tea towel. Let’s just say, I was grateful for my gold gloves!
What can you tell us more about the new games?
When people are out with their partners or relatives, they’re already in their social bubble, so they can play any of our games where close-contact is involved. My favourite new game is Sausage Roll, where one person lies down with a sausage roll at their feet, then the other player has to roll the sausage roll, using just their nose and tongue, up that person’s body and get it into their mouth. If it drops, they don’t win. Well, we had a mum and son play this game and, honestly, I’ve never laughed so much in my life.
This past year has seen many people struggle financially, so was the end game, where competitors can win £1,000, even more emotional than usual?
Yeah, there’s one lady who springs to mind straight away. It just seemed to hit her. I don’t know whether she was in desperate need of the money, but she really burst into tears when she won. It always gets to me, because, although I love a good laugh, these emotional moments do happen.
Finally, after your recent escapades on Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, including your takeover of the show and On Air Dares pranks, do you enjoy being ITV’S man of mischief?
I love it! I’ve always enjoyed jokes and wind-ups, and I’ve always loved the idea of doing a Beadle’s
About-type show. But I am really worried Ant and Dec are going to prank me for taking over their show! There are not many people that would allow that to happen, on their own show, but that’s testament to the relationship I have with the boys, who’ve always been really supportive. I also know the Loose Women stars aren’t happy about the On Air Dares, so I’ll always be on the lookout now for someone getting me back!
WE HAD TO WORK ON NEW, SOCIALLY DISTANCED GAMES