Iconic game show Deal or No Deal made a comeback with Stephen Mulhern as host last year.
The sealed box show began in 2005 and ran for 11 years on Channel 4. Noel Edmonds presented it and it became a smash hit for the channel before it became axed in 2016 amid falling ratings.
And it made a major comeback on ITV with a brand-new host. So how did the old host – the subject of a Channel 5 documentary this weekend (September 29) – feel about being replaced?
Deal Or No Deal fronted by Stephen Mulhern
In March 2024, ITV confirmed it would be bringing the show back with new presenter Stephen Mulhern at the helm.
The game sees contestants battle it out against the notorious Banker to be in with a chance of winning a life-changing cash prize, in a nail-biting game of nerves and intuition.
Each week, a contestant is confronted with 22 sealed boxes, each one hiding a different amount of money.
Without knowing what each one contains, the contestant must eliminate the boxes, which become opened one at a time, and the amount of money inside is revealed.
What will happen?
Pressure mounts as the player becomes tempted by the Banker to accept an offer for their box. As long as the larger cash prizes remain unchosen, the Banker’s offers will get higher.
But that can all change in an instant if a big cash prize is unveiled.
Host Stephen, who took over from Noel Edmonds, said at the time: “Wow what an opportunity, I’m beyond excited to be hosting the brand-new series. I’ve always been such a huge fan of the show, so much so, I’ve been practising at home with small cereal boxes!
“It looks so simple but it’s an incredibly compelling game for both those playing and the viewers watching at home. It’s one of the greatest shows of all time and to be the new host is an honour! I can’t wait to get started.”
How did Noel react?
According to Stephen in May 2023, a couple of months before the series aired, Noel offered him some advice.
He said on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show: “[Noel] did it for 10 years, and he’s been really incredibly supportive. He sent out a comment…he said there’s nobody better, in his view, to host it, which was like, wow! To hear that from him, because he didn’t need to say that.
“Having watched him do it when people lose a massive amount of money, the way he gets out of stuff, and always softens the blow even though somebody’s lost such a massive amount.
“He’s a master of it. And even when you go back to Noel’s House Party, in terms of a Saturday night TV show, it was phenomenal so he was the master.”
Noel Edmonds: The Rise and Fall of a TV Legend is on Channel 5 Sunday September 29 at 5.05pm.
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