For over two decades, Stephen Mulhern has been a fixture of British Saturday night television, known for his charming magic tricks and effortless ability to steer hit shows like Deal or No Deal and Catchphrase. Yet, away from the studio lights, the 48-year-old presenter confesses to a life governed by fear and rigid routine.
In a startlingly vulnerable new ITV series, Accidental Tourist, Mulhern is pushed far beyond his comfort zone, embarking on a transformative journey to South Korea orchestrated by his close friends and collaborators, Ant & Dec.
A Life of Fear and Familiarity
Stephen Mulhern describes himself as "like a 70-year-old man in a 47-year-old body", someone who has actively avoided the unfamiliar. His life, he admits, has been one of "comfortable repetition", with holidays always to Florida or Portugal and a profound fear of new foods and experiences.
"I've been frightened of food, scared of strange places, terrified of the sea," he reveals. "There's never really been any risk in my life. I've never had the guts." This avoidance, often teased by Ant and Dec who note he won't even try hummus, is exposed not as a quirk but as a deep-seated anxiety.
Determined to help their friend, Ant and Dec devised a plan to "prise Stephen out of his routines", sending him to a culture polar opposite to his own: South Korea, a land of live seafood, intense spiritual rituals, and fearless freedivers.
Confronting Demons in a Foreign Land
From the moment he lands in Seoul, Mulhern is out of his depth, staying in a traditional hanok house instead of a five-star hotel. The journey becomes profoundly emotional early on when a letter from his mother brings him to tears.
The experience reaches an intense peak during a visit to a Korean mudang, or shamanic healer. In a deeply unsettling moment for Mulhern, the healer reveals knowledge of a serious health scare he suffered three years ago, a subject he had kept private. "It was very, very serious… a massive operation. I've never discussed anything about my personal health," a stunned Mulhern confesses.
The ritual that follows, involving his own worn underwear wrapped around a wooden fish to trap "bad spirits", leaves him rattled but reflective, prompting thoughts about the recent loss of his father and his own fragility.
Facing the Ultimate Fears: Food and the Sea
Empowered by the spiritual encounter, Mulhern tackles his two greatest phobias. First, he confronts Korea's mukbang culture, facing plates of raw seafood including the infamous 'penis fish' sea worm. "I've never had a prawn," he admits, visibly panicked before forcing himself to take tiny, trembling bites.
His most visceral challenge comes on Geoje Island, where he must overcome a lifelong terror of the sea to join freedivers. Kitted out and on the verge of tears, he initially refuses. Then, a shift occurs. "I don't want to do it for the TV show. I want to do it for myself," he says.
Plunging into the water, he dives down and grabs the sea floor. Surfacing gasping and weeping, he declares, "I've never felt so happy or tired in my life… I've changed." He later describes it as his first true experience of anxiety and a major turning point.
A Man Transformed and a New Chapter
The Stephen Mulhern who returns from South Korea is fundamentally altered. Friends tell him he's "more chilled out". He now values simple walks and family time, a stark contrast to the relentless "machine" of his market-trader work ethic since childhood.
"I knew I hadn't gone there just to make a TV show. I wanted to change something in my life," Mulhern reflects. "I realised I've missed things. And I don't want to miss them any more." He sees the series, which he calls "the most exposing thing I've ever done on TV", as potentially heralding a new, more authentic chapter in his career.
Accidental Tourist airs on Sunday 14 December at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX, a week after the I'm A Celebrity finale. Mulhern's message to viewers is simple: "If I can do it, someone who could barely try a prawn, then honestly, anyone can."
