24 January 2024 , 08:25
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Stephen Mulhern has revealed he is still suffering after being "punched" by champion boxer Ricky Hatton.
The Dancing On Ice co-host got a joke left hook from former boxer Ricky during a live skit on the show last week. During this year's series opener, Stephen - who has replaced Phillip Schofield on the ITV show - goaded the sports star and made Ricky - who ended up in the first skate-off - hold a microphone, leaving the boxer unimpressed.
Holly Willoughby then teased that Ricky should "just hit" her co-host as she quipped: "Please just hit him." The boxer did just that, which left Holly visibly shocked. Stephen went flying to the floor behind her.
Ricky Hatton landed a punch on the Dancing On Ice host before being voted off (ITV)Stephen shared on social media that he was "starting to bruise" after Ricky's punch last weekend. Ricky's account also joked: "Ricky even landing knockout blows on @dancingonice! Hope you're okay @StephenMulhern." Stephen told MailOnline: "Ricky is one strong man. I asked him to punch me as a gag forgetting for a moment that he is a three-time boxing world champion and yes it hurt, a lot!"
And speaking this week, Stephen revealed he's not fully recovered from the joke punch. The Deal or No Deal presenter admitted to The Sun at The London Toy Fair on Wednesday: "He nearly knocked me out. If I showed you the bruise, it is massive. It's on the arm, it's very painful."
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Despite the mishap, Stephen seems to be enjoying his time on the show, especially working with co-host Holly. He added: "That's why the show is so enjoyable. Dancing On Ice, anyone can fall over." With a cheeky grin, he said: "Not to say I like it when people fall over. But it is quite funny... so yeah I really enjoy that." He also mentioned how much he enjoys working with Holly, saying, "I trust Holly and she trusts me. We're having a really nice time."
Stephen also admitted that if he were a judge, he would be "more generous", describing some of the decisions so far as "harsh". He said: "So I am watching [the skating] and some of the judges scores I think, wow, that's a bit harsh, because we're only in week two now."