Three more Accidental Tourist specials have been commissioned
The future of Accidental Tourist has been revealed (Image: ITV)
ITV has greenlit three additional Accidental Tourist specials featuring Stephen Mulhern alongside Ant and Dec as he continues his journey to confront his fears and phobias.
In an episode broadcast towards the end of last year, the presenter visited South Korea where he recorded poignant moments whilst reflecting upon his father’s passing.
Discussing his late father Christopher, Stephen became emotional, stating: “As a family, we know what we like and that’s what we do, and we always have. I am scared, I find my phobias so frustrating, but it’s time to make change, and the change is now.”
The programme documented Stephen’s efforts to tackle his food-related phobias and his fear of the ocean, with the presenter adding: “If I was to tell my dad this, my dad passed away at the start of the year…sorry.”
Accidental Tourist saw Stephen Mulhern break down in tears(Image: ITV)
Finding it difficult to continue, he quietly said: “He wouldn’t believe it. I hope… he’d be proud,” reports the Mirror.
ITV has now announced that Stephen will set off on another undisclosed adventure, stepping away from his familiar comforts.
The network revealed: “Travelling to South Korea opened Stephen’s eyes to a brand new culture, but there is still a long way to go.
“The trip proved such a success that Stephen made some much needed changes to his life back in the UK, but he’s slipping back into his old ways.
“Not wanting to undo the impressive progress he’d already made during his trip to South Korea, Stephen has decided he needs to spread his wings further and who better to help once again than his close pals Ant and Dec.
“With their support, further encouragement from his family and a little help from social media, Stephen will again find himself thrust into the unknown as he attempts to navigate unfamiliar territories in the hope to quell some of his life limiting phobias.”
Stephen opened up about the death of his father after facing his phobias(Image: ITV)
Stephen shared: “The response to my trip to South Korea has been so overwhelming and the amount of people that related to the worries and fears I have has blown me away.
“I was so proud of what I achieved that I planned to book a trip to Japan on my return, but what did I do instead? I booked an all inclusive trip to the Algarve!
“I don’t want to undo the good work I achieved so I’ve asked Ant and Dec to help me again. I need that little loving shove in the right direction, otherwise I fear I’ll slip back into my old ways.
“I’m still scared but this time I’m a little excited too, I know I can do this…. Or at least give it a good go!”
Ant and Dec will join Stephen for three more specials of Accidental Tourist(Image: ITV)
Ant said: “We are so proud of Stephen, we never thought he would accomplish what he did in South Korea – if we’re honest, we weren’t even sure he’d get on the plane! We loved seeing how much of a positive impact the trip had on his life, but we’ve noticed his old ways creeping back in… so when he said he was up for another trip, we were only too happy to oblige.
Dec added: “Unbeknown to Stephen, we have a long list of places we’d love him to experience that will hopefully help him get over more of his fears and phobias, which we know he’s keen to try and conquer. We can’t wait to see what he will accomplish during his next adventures!”
Sue Murphy, Director of Factual Entertainment and Kate Teckman, Head of Development and Commissioning Editor also said, “We are delighted to be building on the success of the Accidental Tourist with Ant and Dec and Stephen with this exciting new series. The audience has clearly enjoyed seeing them together in a new light in such a personal project, as have we.”
Accidental Tourist is available to watch on ITVX.
