For decades, Stephen Mulhern has been television’s safe pair of hands — the joker, the magician, the presenter who never seems to falter.
But on Accidental Tourist, viewers saw something entirely different: a son still raw with grief, stepping into fear while carrying the quiet weight of a loss that has never really left him.
The ITV series — secretly orchestrated by his closest friends, Ant and Dec — sent the In For a Penny host to South Korea, a place chosen with one purpose: to pull Stephen far beyond the comfort zones he has relied on his entire life.
“We stick to what we know”
Early in the programme, Stephen, 48, admitted that unfamiliarity has always frightened him.
“We’re a family that sticks to what we know,” he said honestly.
“We know what we like — and that’s what we do.”
Then came the truth beneath it all.
“I’m scared,” he confessed. “My phobias frustrate me. But something has to change.”
What no one anticipated was how deeply this journey would intertwine with the grief he was still carrying.
A loss that still breaks him
The moment Stephen mentioned his father, Christopher — who died just months before filming — his composure vanished.
“If I told my dad about this… he passed away at the start of the year…”
His voice cracked. He couldn’t finish the sentence.
“He wouldn’t believe it,” he whispered, tears welling.
“I hope he’d be proud.”
It was a rare, unguarded glimpse of a man millions know as unshakeable — suddenly stripped of performance, humour, and protection.
Facing fear — and opening his heart
In South Korea, Stephen was pushed to confront long-held fears: unfamiliar food, open water, situations he would once have avoided entirely.
But nothing hit harder than a small white envelope placed among his belongings — a letter from his mum.
“You have always believed in magic”
Reading her words aloud, Stephen barely made it through.
“Since you were small, you have always believed in magic,” she wrote.
“I hope you see the magic in this trip. Me and Daddy will be with you every step of the way.”
By the final line — “Love you forever, Mum and Dad” — Stephen could no longer speak.
The loss of his father, the reassurance of his parents’ love, and the courage he was summoning all collided at once. He broke down completely.
Viewers respond with love
The response online was immediate.
“Stephen, you’re braver than you realise. Your dad would be so proud,” one viewer wrote.
Another said:
“He’s facing grief and fear at the same time — and still going forward. That takes real strength.”
Many admitted they had never seen this side of him before — and that it changed how they saw him forever.
More than a travel show
What began as a light-hearted experiment turned into something far more powerful: a man confronting fear, honouring grief, and daring to hope that stepping forward might be a way of holding onto love.
Accidental Tourist is streaming now on ITVX — and for many viewers, it’s already one of the most moving things Stephen Mulhern has ever done
