The One Show viewers call out Jermaine Jenas’ behaviour towards fan favourite Stephen Mulhern

Stephen swiftly moved on after co-host’s enquiry

Unimpressed viewers of The One Show once called out Jermaine Jenas for an interview blunder with Stephen Mulhern.

Telly fave Stephen sat on the BBC show sofa opposite Jermaine and co-host Alex Jones in October 2022.

He joked around with actress Chloe Grace Moretz in the later stages of the episode, teasing he was leaving magic and the UK behind to head for Hollywood.

But earlier in the programme, the In For A Penny host endured an awkward moment with Jermaine as Stephen spoke about his new book.

And some people watching at home were so exasperated they suggest former player Jermaine concentrate on football instead.

Jermaine Jenas asked Stephen Mulhern a question on The One Show he probably should have known the answer to (Credit: BBC iPlayer)

Stephen Mulhern news

Speaking about his children’s fiction debut about a young conjurer, Stephen explained at the time how magic was an important part of his life as he was growing up.

He said: “When I started out magic gave me a lot of confidence at school.

“I was very shy at school, so magic really helped gather friends. And with the book I’ve written, it is all about me growing up. They do say you have to write about what you know. And nobody knows yourself more than yourself.”

They do say you have to write about what you know. And nobody knows yourself more than yourself.

Stephen went on, relating further links between the book’s character and his own youth: “It is about a young guy called Max who learns magic, defeats a bully… and my parents are market traders so my dad had to deal with a couple of people who weren’t too nice. So in the book they’re called the Crayfish Twins!”

As Alex tittered over the Crayfish Twins reference, Jermaine followed up with a question that left some viewers frustrated.

Stephen Mulhern swiftly moved on after Jermaine’s question (Credit: BBC iPlayer)

What did Jermaine Jenas say to Stephen Mulhern?

Jermaine asked Stephen: “Was there an inspiration behind the character of Max?”

Stephen didn’t repeat every word he’d been saying for the previous 20 seconds, but he did politely signal he’d just addressed it.

“Well as I say it was based around myself,” he said before moving the conversation on to other aspects of the book.

But the gaffe did not escape the attention of viewers, suggesting Jermaine might be more comfortable chatting about football.

Jermaine Jenas had a slip – but were those who reacted on Twitter being reasonable? (Credit: BBC iPlayer)

The One Show viewers react on social media

“Jenas go back to MOTD [Match of the Day],” one aggravated Twitter user fumed.

Aping Jermaine’s question, they continued: “‘Stephen what did you base the book on’… FFS he just told you.. #TheOneShow.”

Meanwhile someone else posted: “#TheOneShow ‘the character was based on me blah blah blah’. ‘Was there any inspiration for the character?’… was he listening?”

To which the other person replied, repeating their demand: “I just said that, JJ go back to MOTD.”