Stephen Mulhern became the co-host of Dancing on Ice in 2024 (Image: Kieron McCarron/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
is a household name and has now established himself as one of the most recognisable faces on TV.
The 47-year-old’s on-screen journey began when he developed a passion for magic as a child, thanks to his late father who taught him various tricks. After becoming the youngest member of The Magic Circle, Stephen landed a spot on Blue Peter as a teenager, which marked the beginning of his TV career.
He went on to appear in Michael Barrymore’s My Kind of People and won The Big Big Talent Show in 1997, hosted by Jonathan Ross. This sparked his path as a presenter, which began in children’s television, where he worked alongside notable stars like and Fearne Cotton.
Since then, Stephen has been a part of numerous shows, including the spin-off of , In for a Penny and Catchphrase. In 2024, he became the co-host of following ‘s exit.
But since his career began, Stephen has been the subject of more than one controversy.
Stephen has been the subject of a few controversies since his career began (Image: Getty)
Stephen’s journey to stardom wasn’t always plain sailing. When he was just 17, Stephen was welcomed into The Magic Circle.
This notable institution typically requires members to be over 18, but Stephen’s extraordinary skills led to him being crowned the youngest member ever – a title he still proudly holds.
Despite rising rapidly within the magic fraternity, Stephen found himself in hot water for breaking The Magic Circle’s sacred rule: never reveal your secrets. He boldly did more than reveal a simple card trick as he took it upon himself to demonstrate this on national television.
Yet, Stephen had his reasons; he was convinced that without sharing how tricks were accomplished, young people would miss the spark to pursue magic and carry on its heritage.
Unfortunately for Stephen, The Magic Circle considered the trick too special to share publicly and responded by suspending his membership. However, the exclusive club eventually softened its stance and reinstated his membership.
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Stephen had his membership at The Magic Circle suspended (Image: Butlins)
Last year, living in one of his properties, which was reportedly plagued with damp.
Residents of the Leicestershire home, valued at a hefty £165,000, sounded the alarm over serious damp and mould problems that they feared caused health concerns.
The unhappy residents had been consistently reaching out to Connells, their management agency, about these issues but claimed their cries for help had been neglected.
The residents shared images of the home, illustrating walls ridden with dampness and fungal growth. Adding to the frustration, one tenant expressed their dismay at the poor living conditions.
They said: “We worked our butts off as key workers during . Who tunes in to watch and support Stephen Mulhern while we’re paying him rent to live in squalor?”
Stephen’s tenants claimed they were “living in squalor” (Image: Getty)
In a statement to LeicestershireLive, a spokesperson for the presenter said: “Stephen was absolutely mortified to learn about this situation and the awful experience the tenant has faced which is clearly unacceptable.
“Stephen had not been made aware of any of these issues as he relies entirely on an independent company who manage the property on his behalf.
“Having not been aware of the issues until now, has taken this matter into his own hands immediately and has personally requested for a team of damp specialists to visit the property to make sure that the problems with the ventilation and mould are resolved as a matter of urgency.”
They added: “We have contacted the tenant to express sincere apologies for the distress and frustration the management of this matter has caused.
“This falls way below the standards Stephen expects and he is doing everything possible to remedy this ASAP, and this process is already underway.”
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Stephen came under fire for conducting a “cruel” prank (Image: Tiktok/Stephen Mulhern)
Back in 2022, Stephen stirred up controversy when he uploaded a video of a “cruel” prank on , leading many to criticise the star.
The clip shows the presenter entering an ASDA store and asking for assistance with his van, which he claims is blocked in.
The unsuspecting shop worker, unaware she was being filmed, willingly assists the TV personality by noting down the rather risque and crude number plate of the obstructing vehicle. She then announces this over the store’s PA system.
Stephen captured the somewhat indecent announcement, made in front of hundreds of customers. The footage of the prank was quickly shared on the presenter’s social media accounts, but it instantly split opinion.
“What a cruel prank to play on that kind lady. And what a waste of her time. This isn’t one bit funny,” fumed one person a second agreed: “What a waste of her time. Making fun of the lady.”
A third echoed: “Stephen mate, maybe try not to belittle customer service people. It’s fun and games for you but won’t be for her.”
Others leaped to the defence of the presenter, branding it “harmless fun” and “a bit of a laugh”.
Stephen replaced Phillip Schofield as the host of Dancing on Ice (Image: Kieron McCarron/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Stepping in for , Stephen became the co-host of Dancing on Ice alongside Holly Willoughby in 2024.
However, the ITV host sparked fury among displeased viewers after briefly starred in a racy Magic Mike routine. The segment featured dancers from Magic Mike Live in London, who performed shirtless for the audience.
During the skit, Stephen joined in and stripped off his black shirt to reveal a fake eight pack. to Ofcom.
An Ofcom spokesperson verified: “The complaints related to a ‘Magic Mike’ themed performance being broadcast before the watershed.”
The routine sparked 86 Ofcom complaints (Image: ITV)