Stephen Mulhern pulled out of Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway this weekend after he was struck down with illness.
The television presenter, 47, is said to have told producers on Saturday morning that he was not up for filming that evening as he was feeling under the weather.
While he was absent from the show, the nature of his illness has not been revealed.
The last minute change meant hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly had to rewrite an I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! segment to feature radio presenter Jordan North, 34.
A source close to Stephen told The Sun on Sunday: ‘Stephen was due to be on a small section of the show, but sadly he was feeling a bit too poorly to perform.
Stephen Mulhern pulled out of Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway this weekend after he was struck down with illness
The last minute change meant hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly had to rewrite an I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! segmen
‘When he realised he would be too under the weather to show up he called first thing on Saturday morning to let the team know.
‘They were able to rejig the format and make it work without him.’
Stephen is still due to appear on Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway last ever episode in a special Farewell Spectacular
ITV declined to comment. MailOnline has contacted representatives for Stephen for comment.
In 2022, Stephen took a long break from presenting after undergoing a medical procedure in hospital.
Stephen and Cat Deeley are being eyed as a guest hosts for Britain’s Got Talent.
New This Morning presenter Cat and Dancing On Ice host Stephen – who previously hosted companion show Britain’s Got More Talent and spin-off programme Britain’s Got Talent: The Ultimate Magician – are being eyed by producers to go on stand-by to cover for Ant Mc Partlin on the live shows if his wife Anne-Marie Corbett goes into labour.
The couple are due to welcome their first child into the world in June, so ITV bosses are worried Declan Donnelly could be left holding the fort alone if they don’t draft up a contingency plan.
Stephen, 47, is said to have told producers on Saturday morning that he was not up for filming that evening as he was feeling under the weather
A source told The Sun on Sunday newspaper: ‘The timing is causing something of a headache for bosses.
‘They are considering whether Dec would present alone if Anne-Marie went into labour or, if time allows, a guest presenter could step in.
‘Cat and Stephen, who the lads have worked with in the past, are front-runners.’
Ant recently explained he and Dec – who has Isla, five, and 18-month-old Jack with his wife wife Ali Astall – are keen to spend more time with their families, which led to them ‘pausing’ Saturday Night Takeaway after 20 series.
He told Flaunt Magazine: ‘We do the show and then Britain’s Got Talent, but on a more personal level, part of the reason we’re pausing Takeaway is we need a break ourselves, and we need to spend some time with our family.
‘We’ve both got children that we need to spend time with for a little bit.
‘We need time to think and, and time to step back and look at the bigger picture and just see where we are now.
It comes after Stephen and Cat Deeley (pictured) are reportedly being lined up to stand-in for pal Ant McPartlin on Britain’s Got Talent, should his wife Anne-Marie Corbett go into labour
The host is set to become a father for the first time in June, which coincides with the competition’s live shows (Ant and Anne-Marie pictured in February)
‘You know, like I say, “We’re turning 49, and what do we want to do next? What’s the next phase of our career?”
‘And we’ve got lots of ideas and lots of offers on the table, lots of options of things we can do.
‘But it’s working on what we do next and where the next chapter begins. So that’s what we’re gonna do when Saturday Night Takeaway is out of the way.
‘We’ll sit down, take a bit of time, and reevaluate everything.’
