Former Dancing On Ice presenter Stephen Mulhern has ended his ties with the British staycation firm Butlins after three years and will be pursuing other career options
Stephen Mulhern has decided not to renew his contract with Butlins(Image: FILE)
Stephen Mulhern has ended his lucrative deal with Butlin’s. The 48-year-old presenter had been the face of the family-friendly holiday resort chain in the UK – to the tune of a reported £1 million.
While he had signed for a three-year deal, the former Dancing On Ice presenter won’t be renewing his contract. Stephen enjoyed early success in his career as a Redcoat at the iconic holiday chain. And he returned to the stage at centres in Minehead, Bognor Regis and Skegness as part of his deal.
A report has claimed the ITV star will no longer perform once the summer season is over – and that he won’t be looking at renewing his contract. A spokesperson for the star confirmed that the collaboration between the brand and the TV star had indeed ended.
However, they added that host had enjoyed his time working with the chain. The spokesperson told The Mirror: “Stephen has absolutely loved being part of the Butlin’s family – performing his stage shows in front of thousands of holiday makers across the country and the relationship with Butlin’s remains hugely positive.
“This change allows Stephen to explore new opportunities in the family holiday space – something he’s incredibly passionate about.” A Butlin’s spokesperson added: “Stephen has been an incredible part of the Butlin’s experience and continues to be a valued member of the family. Stephen’s much-loved live show won’t return in 2026 after three fantastic years, but we’re thrilled to be working together on ongoing projects this autumn.”
The TV star entertained audiences at Butlin’s at the beginning of his career(Image: No credit)
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The Sun broke news of Stephen’s loss of work, with a source saying: “Stephen has been a massive hit with holidaymakers. He began his career as a Redcoat and has kept families brilliantly entertained.” Instead, Stephen will be focusing on his TV career, with shows such as You Bet, Catchphrase and Deal or No Deal.
This is just the latest change in a line of career moves for Stephen. The long-running ITV winter sport reality show Dancing On Ice was axed earlier this year, with the show being cancelled after ratings tanked after he came on board to co-host it alongside Holly Willoughby in 2024.
Stephen replaced Phillip Schofield who saw his contract with ITV go up in flames in 2023 after he admitted having an office affair behind-the-scenes of This Morning with a much younger employee and then lying about it.
Last year, Stephen’s other TV show, In For A Penny, was cancelled after six seasons – but it was teased that the show could be revived in the future.
Dancing On Ice won’t be returning(Image: Kieron McCarron/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
A source previously told The Sun: “So don’t put your pennies away just yet as the team could be popping up in your local town, to challenge even more members of the public to take part in their unique and madcap games in the future.”
Meanwhile, fans of Stephen were worried last year when he had a health scare – as he collapsed in a Pizza Express after undergoing surgery for a health issue. He also suffered a devastating bereavement last year when his father passed away.
Stephen paid tribute to his late father in a touching moment after his Royal Variety Performance act last December. As the audience applauded his magic tricks, he said: “That was for you dad.”
In happier news, some of Stephen’s other TV projects are continuing – including Deal or No Deal which was revived in 2023 with Stephen as the host.
