Stephen Mulhern pulls out of Saturday Night Takeaway last minute due to illness

There was a Stephen Mulhern-shaped hole in the penultimate episode of Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, as the TV star pulled out last minute.

Stephen is well known and loved for bringing the comedic value to the popular weekend show, especially during the Ant vs Dec segment.

However, ahead of the show’s final episode next weekend, Stephen has been forced to rest after being struck down with illness.

Metro.co.uk understands that the former children’s TV presenter, 47, was due to go into the ITV studios to cameo in a small segment.

However, this was rewritten when he was feeling under the weather.

This meant Jordan North – radio presenter and Saturday Night Takeaway regular – stepped in.

Further reports from The Sun claim Stephen informed bosses this morning that he was not well enough to go to the studios in West London.

A source close to Stephen explained to the publication: ‘Stephen was due to be on a small section of the show, but sadly he was feeling a bit too poorly to perform.

‘When he realised he would be too under the weather to show up he called first thing on Saturday morning to let the team know.

‘They were able to rejig the format and make it work without him.’

The nature of Stephen’s illness is unclear.

All being well, Stephen is still due to appear on the show next week, which will be a two-hour special as the Geordie duo bid farewell after 20 series.

This isn’t the first time Stephen – who joined Dancing On Ice as Holly Willoughby’s new co-host in 2024 – has had to sit out of SNT duties.

Meanwhile, as Saturday Night Takeaway goes on indefinite hiatus from next week and Ant and Dec vow to take time away from the spotlight to be with their families, the status of their other presenting gigs is unclear.

As a result, Stephen, as well as new This Morning host Cat Deeley, is being eyed up to guest host Britain’s Got Talent.

They could be called to step in, should Ant’s wife go into labour with their first child together.

A source told The Sun on Sunday newspaper: ‘The timing is causing something of a headache for bosses.

‘They are considering whether Dec would present alone if Anne-Marie went into labour or, if time allows, a guest presenter could step in.

‘Cat and Stephen, who the lads have worked with in the past, are front-runners.’

Girl band Girls Aloud will be the star guest announcers while pop group S Club, rockers Kaiser Chiefs, and TV star Scarlett Moffatt are among the famous faces set to make an appearance during the grand finale.

Speaking previously about taking a break, both Ant and Dec said they feel it is the ‘perfect time to pause for a little while and catch our breath’.

As Ant raises his first baby, Dec will be able to make memories with his own wife, Ali Astall, and their children, Isla, five, and 18-month-old Jack. with his wife wife Ali Astall.

Ant told Flaunt Magazine: ‘We do the show and then Britain’s Got Talent, but on a more personal level, part of the reason we’re pausing Takeaway is we need a break ourselves, and we need to spend some time with our family. 

‘We’ve both got children that we need to spend time with for a little bit.

‘We need time to think and, and time to step back and look at the bigger picture and just see where we are now. 

Reps for Stephen Mulhern have been contacted for comment. ITV declined to comment.

Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway concludes on Saturday at 7pm on ITV1 and ITVX.

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