Stephen Mulhern takes over from Noel Edmonds on Deal or No Deal today (November 20) – and it sounds like he could do with a nap!
The iconic box-opening gameshow may appear to be a breeze to present. However, Stephen has revealed he was confronted with all the emotions from players during filming of the first episodes of the ITV rebooted series.
Noel hosted on the OG programme from 2005 to 2013. But it seems hosting Deal or No Deal 2023 has taken its toll on Stephen, who has branded it as “like a boxing match”.
Deal or No Deal returns with Stephen Mulhern at the helm
As fans will recall, Deal or No Deal sees a slew of contestants battle it out to bag a life-changing cash prize. Since its first-ever episode, the show has handed out more than £40 million in winnings.
But despite being able to change people’s lives on the ITV show, Stephen had revealed just what it was like to front the exhausting programme. Speaking candidly, Stephen confessed: “This is honestly, for any presenter, the most taxing show.”
He added to The Sun: “You’ve got to use every trick in the book because you know there will be people that will be crying, there’ll be people that will be angry, there’ll be people that’ll be gutted, people that are overjoyed.
“So you do come out and just go: ‘Wow, that was like a boxing match,'” he said. Drained, Stephen then revealed that once he’s wrapped filming the show, he “just goes to bed” in the “hotel next door”.
Prize fund reduced
Each episode of Deal or No Deal will see a contestant open 22 sealed boxes. Each box hides a different amount of money. While they won’t know what’s in each one, the contestant must eliminate the boxes. They are opened one at a time to reveal the amount of money inside.
The box they’re left with contains the prize they walk away with. That’s if they don’t take the banker’s offer.
The format of the new reboot is going to remain largely the same. However, the prize fund has been reduced from £250,000 to £100,000.
Deal Or No Deal starts on ITV1 and ITVX on Monday November 20 at 4pm.
Read more: Stephen Mulhern finally speaks about his hospital stay: ‘It was a worrying time’
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