Stephen Mulhern horrified as Noel Edmonds crashes private party to confront him about Deal Or No Deal

IT'S BEEN almost seven years since we last watched Noel Edmonds call The Banker as contestants tried to find huge sums of cash inside those 22 famous red boxes.

Now the game show gets a new lease of life with Stephen Mulhern at the helm.

"Deal Or No Deal was not only one of my favourite shows, it was my dad’s favourite show - when I told him I was doing it, it was like he’d won the lottery," smiles Stephen, 46, who also hosts Catchphrase, In For A Penny and Rolling In It.

"And the icing on the cake is… Let me tell you the story: I was hosting a private function and I hear a voice go [puts on a gruff voice]: ‘Hello, Stephen!’ and this guy dressed like Gandalf was coming towards the stage.

"He said: ‘I have one question: ‘Deal or no deal?’ He takes off his mask and it’s Noel Edmonds!

"He goes: ‘I haven’t done one of these in 20 years, but I finally ‘Gotcha’ [the name of Noel’s House Party pranks]. I had 10 glorious years with Deal Or No Deal and I think you will too. You’re one of our brightest stars and there couldn’t be anybody better to step into my shoes.’ It choked me up, it really did.”

While the jackpot has shrunk from £250,000 to £100,000, the format of the game remains the same.

"If it 100 per cent works, why play about with it?" says Stephen.

"Deal Or No Deal is all about the punters and their stories. Members of the public, they’re eccentrics. That’s why I adore it, honestly,
it doesn’t even feel like a job - I won’t tell Kevin Lygo [Director of Television at ITV] that, obviously!"

The identity of the Banker has never been revealed and as someone new takes over the role, Stephen insists he too is in the dark.

"My brothers, my sister, my mum, my dad, they all ask: ‘Who’s the Banker?’ I swear to God, I do not know who it is!" he says.

"I don’t want to know because this one is particularly harsh. He pulls no punches.

"There was one lady who won a penny, she was gutted and getting emotional. The phone rings and I go: ‘Hello, Banker.’ and he goes: ‘Tell her to wipe those tears, this is not a pity party.’ And I’ve got to repeat that to her!"