Stephen Mulhern opens up about suffering horrific bullying at school

Stephen Mulhern suffered horrific bullying at school.

The 47-year-old ‘Catchphrase’ host – who keeps his private life so under wraps his Wikipedia page doesn’t have a Personal section – revealed he was picked on in an interview to promote his ‘Max Magic’ trilogy of children’s books, which are modelled on his childhood and include his family’s real names and parents’ jobs.

He told the Daily Express: “I only had about two real friends at school and was bullied.

“There was a boy at the school I was at and the worst thing he ever did was in West Ham park.

“He said to me, ‘I want you to stand in the middle of the park and if you move from this spot before I leave the park I’m going to beat you up’.

“I must have stood there for at least an hour and a half. I was too scared to move. It’s always stayed with me. We always remember the worst things that happen to us.”

Stephen added about how he wants his school bully to envy his success: “I hope when this goes into your paper, and he’s reading it… well, who’s laughing now?”

Stephen also told how he used his magic to break into showbiz.

He added: “A long time ago, I was in a room with Ant and Dec, and one of the big telly bosses came in.

“At the time they were riding high, massively successful, and I was just plodding along. I saw my chance and said to Ant, ‘When the boss comes over, can you ask me to do a trick?’ He said OK.

“So Ant says, ‘Stephen, come on, show so and so a trick’. I reply something like, ‘Oh what? Really? I’m off duty… Fine, go on then, let me have a go’ in a very nonchalant manner, but of course then do the trick.

“‘You cheeky so and so’, Ant says with a smile once the boss had gone. And that’s how we all became friends. I think the big boss liked it too.”

Stephen has previously told The Sun his bullying incident was “horrific” and added he wanted his books to be “relatable” and dreams of them helping people going through similar traumas.