Stephen Mulhern forced to stop Deal Or No Deal as contestant breaks down in tears gasping “it’s overwhelming!” – and even the studio audience can’t help but cry

Stephen Mulhern was forced to quit Deal Or No Deal when a contestant broke down in tears during the latest episode.

Host Stephen, 47, fronted the Channel 4 show when even the studio audience couldn’t stop crying over what had happened.

Midwife Paisley took her chances against the ruthless banker on Monday and while she got off to a good start, the £100,000 top prize was eliminated early on.

Despite the unfortunate loss, she ended up with five boxes left – 10p, 50p, £10, £50,000 and £75,000.

She was tempted by the huge offer of £16,750, which she quickly accepted.

She screamed: ‘Thank you very much Mr Banker… because I’m going to be rich! Part!’

She then shared how she sweetly plans to take her parents on a cruise with her winnings.

One viewer in the studio was even left in tears, prompting Stephen to briefly stop the show to acknowledge what had happened.

He exclaimed: ‘This is absolutely gratifying.’

‘Sorry, but can I just say, I’ve never seen this at anyone’s game, and I hope you don’t mind me pointing it out, but this gentleman in the back is crying for you. It’s fantastic.’

Paisley was comforted by the man’s offer of a hug as the crowd clapped in the background.

Stephen was appointed to replace original host Noel Edmonds, 75, for the rebooted series when it was revived by the broadcaster in 2023 after a seven-year hiatus.

Ahead of the second series, which started last month, Stephen said: ‘I am absolutely convinced that Deal or No Deal will return to our screens.

‘The reaction has been incredible and series one was an absolute rollercoaster of emotions. i loved it!..

‘The competitors were a great bunch facing the banker and our new batch of players will have to keep their heads down if they want to walk away with the huge jackpot! It’s such a phenomenal show and I’m absolutely stoked that we’re going to be doing it all again.’

Meanwhile, Tamara Gilder, Joint Managing Director of Remarkable Entertainment, said of the news: ‘We were absolutely blown away by how much love there was for the show. We can’t wait to do more with the wonderful Stephen. Less so that banker.’

While Katie Rawcliffe, Head of Entertainment commissioning at ITV. added: ‘We’re delighted that ITV viewers loved the new series of Deal or No Deal, it was a triumphant return for this thoroughly entertaining game show.

“It’s a fantastic format that’s both heartwarming and captivating, and with Stephen at the helm, it’s the perfect combination.”

The show, which airs on ITV1 and ITVX, sees contestants battle it out against the infamous Banker for a chance to win a life-changing cash prize in a nail-biting game of nerves and intuition.

Each week, a contestant will be confronted with 22 sealed boxes, each hiding a different amount of money.

Not knowing what each one contains, the player must remove the boxes, which are opened one at a time to reveal the amount of money inside.

The pressure mounts as the player is tempted by the infamous banker to accept an offer of cash in exchange for whatever may be in their box.

As long as the larger cash prizes remain unselected, the banker’s offer will be higher. But that can all change in an instant if a big cash prize is revealed.