Stephen Mulhern was left feeling emotional during a special episode of The Accidental Tourist.
ITV legend Stephen Mulhern has broken down in tears after a tragic family death.
Stephen has joined forces with beloved hosting duo Ant and Dec to bring a new special to ITV.
Accidental Tourist sees Stephen leave his comfort zone as Ant and Dec send him to South Korea, where he will try new foods and push himself out of his comfort zone in an attempt to broaden his horizons.
The show’s synopsis reads: “In an effort to help to test his resolve and push his boundaries, Stephen will encounter epic locations, exotic cultures and cuisines, incredible people and places and exhilarating activities he would never have chosen for himself.”
In a statement, Stephen previously said: “Travelling and adventures have never been on my list of favourite things, so to say I’m nervous would be a huge understatement! This project sort of feels like the world’s worst bucket list!”
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During the show on Sunday (December 14), the star became emotional as he paid tribute to his dad, Christopher, who passed away earlier this year.
Ahead of his adventures, Stephen told cameras: “If I was to tell my dad this, my dad passed away at the start of the year.”
He then had to pause the interview as he became overwhelmed with emotion and apologised, saying: “Sorry.” Stephen added: “[My dad] wouldn’t believe it. I hope he would be proud.”
After arriving in Korea, Stephen received a letter from his mum, which left him feeling emotional.
“My darling Stevie, when you read this letter you will be in Korea. Since you were small, you have always loved magic. From the bottom of my heart, I hope you see the magic in this trip,” the note read.
A choked up Stephen continued to read the letter, which added: “Give it your best shot like you always do. On that note my darling, me and daddy will be with you every step of the way. Get back quick. Love you forever, mum and dad.”
ITV viewers were also left feeling emotional after watching the heartfelt scenes, with one person writing on X (formerly Twitter): “Omg, I didn’t know his dad passed away at the beginning of the year.”
Another added: “I don’t want to see Stephen Mulhern crying on my TV. Why is ITV doing this to me. Stop [crying emoji],” while a third said: “Aww, Stephen.”
A fourth fan echoed the sentiment, saying: “When he cried I just wanted to jump in the TV and hug him,” with another similarly sharing: “I wanna applaud @StephenMulhern for #AccidentalTourist. He’s overcoming a lot of fears and absolutely smashing it!!! His dad would absolutely be so proud of him!”
During his time in Korea, Stephen tried prawns for the first time, had a naked Korean massage, and even dived for abalone and pineapple fish with the Haenyeo sea women.
Accidental Tourist is available to stream on ITVX
