Stephen Mulhern's 'heartache' and grief which led to his restaurant collapse

Stephen Mulhern, the cheerful and charismatic TV presenter known for his roles on Catchphrase and Deal or No Deal, has recently faced immense grief following the loss of his father, Christopher. The 47-year-old entertainer, who was incredibly close to his dad, collapsed at a Pizza Express in Sunningdale, Berkshire this week due to a reaction to an anaesthetic.

It is believed that Stephen had a bad reaction to some medication after having a few drinks with his meal. Earlier in the day, he underwent a procedure, for which he was administered the anaesthetic.

Stephen was taken to Frimley Park hospital in Camberley, Surrey, as a precaution and is now recovering. However, the star's had a tough few weeks since his father's death.

A source said the bereavement "hit him hard" although the entertainer is understood to have been given continuous support by his team, ITV bosses and long-term pal Holly Willoughby - his co-host for the return of challenge show You Bet!

"Stephen has been going through an incredibly tough time of late. He is grieving the loss of his dad to whom he was so, so close. He's also been battling several well-documented health problems, and on Wednesday morning had a procedure requiring a local anaesthetic," a source told The Sun, reports the Mirror.

"He took himself off for a quiet, solo dinner that evening, had a few drinks and just reacted incredibly badly. He's only human, and his dad's death has hit him hard... He's so grateful for the care he received, and is mortified that he had such an awful - and public - reaction to the anaesthetic."

Stephen, who has often shared memories of growing up with his father in London's East End, had to cancel appearances at Butlin's holiday parks last month due to his father's passing. This week, when he collapsed at the restaurant, an ambulance swiftly transported Stephen to the hospital.

This incident echoes a health scare from 2022, which saw Stephen absent from work for three weeks. He addressed his followers on X, previously known as Twitter, saying: "Hello all, Sorry I've been quiet on here recently and thank you for all your lovely messages. I've had some time off and been resting up on doctor's orders."