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THE RIGHT DEAL
Stephen Mulhern reveals future of ITV’s Deal or No Deal – after he replaces Phillip Schofield on Dancing On Ice
Stephen also opened up about taking over from Phillip Schofield as the Dancing On Ice host
STEPHEN Mulhern has revealed the future of Deal or No Deal - after he replaced Phillip Schofield on Dancing On Ice.
The much-loved presenter has confirmed that ITV has commissioned a second series of Deal or No Deal, after the successful reboot aired last November.
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TV favourite Stephen, 46, said filming will commence in June and will return to our screens later this year in September.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun, Stephen said: "We start to film for Deal or No Deal again at the end of June, we've done our first series and ITV has already commissioned it for a second series and it starts in September."
Stephen said the game show has been his career highlight - saying: "It's the hardest job but the most rewarding".
"It is the biggest shock to my career because I knew the show was big, when Noel Edmonds used to do it," Stephen told us at The Toy Press Fair on Tuesday.
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"Catchphrase I've been doing for 10 series, I used to watch it when I was growing up, it's been a dream.
"Saturday Night Takeaway is an amazing show because I'm with two friends I absolutely love working with.
"But Deal or No Deal...because it's 22 members of the public and I love working with the public anyway, but you hear everything as a presenter.
"It's possibly the hardest job but the most rewarding job because you've got highs, you've got lows, you've got people that are there to win money, but over that hour you learn a lot about that one person.
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"You just never know how the game is going to go and you no one can predict it, because whatever box you pick at random is the one you're going to have to go with and you're going to have to stick with."
Stephen opened up about the most shocking moment on the show which left him close to tears.
He said: "The most shocking moment was when we had Brad, there was a contested called Brad and he only had three years to live.
"And he had three boxes, there was £5, £10 and £75,000. He said he had a dream that he'd win £75,000, so he said no deal to £17,500, but when he opened his box at the end he only had a £5, so he lost.
"One of the contestants Rochelle, she then did a GoFundMe page and members of the public who saw the show, which shows the power of the show, raised £115,000 for him.
"It's slightly amazing that members of the public at 4pm in the afternoon - but that's the power of Deal or No Deal, as a game and indeed how the people have taken it back into their psyche.
"It was only on for four weeks, I've done Catchphrase for 10 years and Saturday Night Takeaway for nine years. This is my career highlight. Dancing on Ice is close but Deal or No Deal has been my highlight."
The In For A Penny host revealed the best piece of advice that legendary presenter Noel Edmonds shared with him before the reboot.
He shared: "Noel Edmonds came and surprised me, he did it on stage, not on TV but at a live event doing a show.
"His best piece of advice was to be yourself - his words were 'I had 10 glorious years on the show and to pass the baton over, there is no one better to take it over'."
The original series, fronted by Noel, ran on Channel 4 for 11 years until 2016.
Last year, a source said: “Deal Or No Deal was absolutely huge back in the day and pulled in millions of viewers.
“ITV think there is still a huge appetite for it and think they could make a huge success of the show if they brought it back."
Stephen has since landed the Dancing On Ice co-host job alongside good pal Holly Willoughby and said he was chuffed with the incredible public response.
He said: "To be working with Holly again is a dream, when we first started presenting together...last Wednesday was 20 years when we first started presenting together.
"What I find amazing is when Phil [Schofield] wasn't too well with Covid, I never thought I would actually get the job, so it's been amazing.
"And also because it's live, anything can happen."
He continued: "The reaction has been amazing and it's always that fear isn't it, that it won't go as well as we expect it to go.
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"But the response has been beautiful. Even this morning, there have been so many people coming up saying that we get on so well.
"And I think the good thing is, is that all we have to be is ourselves. And it's just been a good time."
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