TV star Stephen Mulhern is preparing viewers for a raw and emotional ride with his upcoming ITV series The Accidental Tourist — a show unlike anything he’s ever done.
In a deeply personal interview, the 48-year-old presenter opened up about filming the travel-based series, which saw him pushed far beyond his comfort zone — both physically and emotionally. The show, which was filmed in South Korea shortly after the death of his father, turned into a cathartic and revealing journey.
Known for his upbeat energy on shows like Deal or No Deal and This Morning, Stephen admits The Accidental Tourist strips all of that away.
“No one’s ever seen me cry on TV,” he shared. “But I cried a lot. This time, I wasn’t hiding behind a format. I was just me.”
In the show, arranged by close friends Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, Stephen travels to South Korea where he eats unfamiliar foods, meets strangers, and confronts fears he’s long avoided. “It was scary,” he said. “I remember sitting on the bed thinking: was this a mistake?”
He also addressed the constant curiosity around his relationship status, joking, “People may think, ‘Is he seeing someone?’ Well, now they’ll get to see who I really am.”
Stephen revealed he lost half a stone during filming, unable to stomach most of the local delicacies. “I literally couldn’t eat for two and a half weeks.”
But beyond the physical challenge, it was the emotional release that defined the experience. “It’s stripped back. No razzle-dazzle. Just the real me.”
