Stephen Mulhern taken to hospital after becoming unwell in restaurant

Television presenter Stephen Mulhern is at home recovering after he was taken to hospital due to falling ill in a restaurant.

The 47-year-old had a medical procedure involving an anaesthetic earlier in the day and had a few drinks which made him unwell, a spokesman for the star said.

Mulhern, also known for being a magician and author, is said to have experienced a difficult time lately following the recent death of his father.

The Sun newspaper reported that Mulhern collapsed in Pizza Express, Sunningdale, Berkshire, at around 8pm on Wednesday evening.

A spokesman for Mulhern said: “Stephen has had an incredibly tough time over the past few weeks.

“His beloved father recently passed away which has hit him hard and has been understandably very stressful.

“In addition he had a procedure which took place yesterday (Wednesday).

“Following the anaesthetic that was administered, he had a few drinks which made him unwell and he was taken in to hospital as a precaution. He’s is now back home recovering.”

Mulhern rose to fame fronting children’s TV programmes and has become a staple of Saturday night TV.

His career started in magic – performing at a Butlin’s outpost on his childhood family holidays – before presenting children’s TV shows such as Finger Tips and Holly & Stephen’s Saturday Showdown.

Just this week, Holly Willoughby reflected on the “fun moments” she shared with Mulhern while filming rebooted on STV show You Bet!, saying they “couldn’t help but play along and compete with each other”.

The Saturday night entertainment show, which originally aired from 1988 to 1997 with hosts including the late Sir Bruce Forsyth, will return to TV screens next month.

Earlier in the year, Willoughby and Mulhern hosted STV’s Dancing On Ice, with Mulhern replacing Phillip Schofield after he resigned from the broadcaster having admitted to a relationship with a younger male This Morning employee.

Last Friday, Mulhern was among the stars at the Royal Variety Performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London.