Stephen Mulhern pulled out of Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway this weekend after suffering illness.
The television presenter, 47, reportedly told producers on Saturday morning that he was not willing to film that night because he was feeling unwell.
While he was absent from the show, the nature of his illness has not been revealed.
The last-minute change meant presenters Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly had to rewrite I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! segment that will feature radio host Jordan North, 34.
A source close to Stephen said The sun on Sunday: ‘Stephen was supposed to be in a small section of the show, but unfortunately he felt too unwell to perform.
Stephen Mulhern pulled out of Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway this weekend after suffering illness
The last-minute change meant presenters Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly had to rewrite I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! segment
“When he realized he would be too ill to show up, he called first thing Saturday morning to inform the team.
“They were able to readjust the format and make it work without it.”
Stephen is yet to appear on the latest episode of Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway in a Farewell Spectacular special.
A rep for Stephen told MailOnline: ‘Stephen was due to take part in one of the sketches on tonight’s show but unfortunately was unable to take part due to not feeling well. He is looking forward to returning for the final next weekend.”
ITV declined to comment.
In 2022, Stephen took a long break from performing after undergoing a medical procedure in the hospital.
It comes as Stephen and Cat Deeley are being considered as guest hosts for Britain’s Got Talent.
New This Morning presenter Cat and Dancing On Ice presenter Stephen, who previously presented spin-off show Britain’s Got More Talent and spin-off show Britain’s Got Talent: The Ultimate Magician, are being considered by producers to cover for Ant Mc Partlin on the live shows if his wife Anne-Marie Corbett goes into labour.
Stephen, 47, is said to have told producers on Saturday morning that he wasn’t ready to film that night because he was feeling unwell.
The couple will welcome their first child into the world in June, so ITV bosses are worried Declan Donnelly could be left alone if they don’t put together a contingency plan.
A source said The sun on Sunday newspaper: ‘The moment is a real headache for the bosses.
“They are considering whether Dec would present alone if Anne-Marie went into labor or, if time permits, a guest presenter could step in.
“Cat and Stephen, who the boys have worked with in the past, are the favourites.”
Ant recently explained that he and Dec, who has five-year-old Isla and 18-month-old Jack with wife Ali Astall, want to spend more time with their families, prompting them to “pause” Saturday Night Takeaway after of 20 series. .
He said boast magazine: ‘We do the show and then Britain’s Got Talent, but on a more personal level, part of the reason we paused Takeaway is that we need a break and we need to spend some time with our family.
‘We both have children we need to spend time with for a while.
‘We need time to think and time to step back and look at the bigger picture and see where we are now.
It comes after Stephen and Cat Deeley (pictured) are reportedly lined up to replace their friend Ant McPartlin on Britain’s Got Talent, should his wife Anne-Marie Corbett go into labour.
The presenter will 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 is the next phase of our career?’
‘And we have a lot of ideas and a lot of offers on the table, a lot of options of things we can do.
‘But he’s working on what we do next and where the next chapter begins. So that’s what we’ll do when Saturday Night Takeaway is out of the way.
“We’ll sit down, take a little time and re-evaluate everything.”