It could not be more fitting that Holly Willoughby and Stephen Mulhern celebrate 20 years since they made their TV debut together – just four days before they reunite for Dancing on Ice.
On Sunday, Holly, 42, is making her long-awaited return to TV, alongside her old friend Stephen, 46, after she left This Morning in the wake of a kidnapping threat in October.
From January 2004 until July 2006, the former This Morning presenter and the Deal or No Deal star hosted the children’s show Ministry of Mayhem on CITV.
To mark the monumental occasion, Stephen posted a video on his Instagram of their first-ever episode together in which contestants had to catapult cream pies using a skateboard.
He wrote: ‘Unbelievably, the first ever Ministry of Mayhem aired 20 years ago today! I loved the years doing this with Holly Willoughby! We’ll be back on our screens this Sunday, live at 6:30pm, doing something just as slippy… #DancingOnIce’
It could not be more fitting that Holly Willoughby and Stephen Mulhern celebrate 20 years since they made their TV debut together – just four days before they reunite for Dancing on Ice
From January 2004 until July 2006, the former This Morning presenter (right) and the Deal or No Deal star (left) hosted the children’s show Ministry of Mayhem on CITV (pictured on the show in 2005)
Both began their on-screen careers on ITV’s Children’s channels which launched their long and celebrated journeys as British television presenters.
Ministry of Mayhem was renamed Holly and Stephens Saturday Showdown when it returned after the Christmas break in 2006 – Holly was 25 and Stephen was 29.
In a clip that went viral, the pair kissed a total of five times in one episode under the mistletoe and Holly reflected on her time in Kid’s TV in 2019: ‘There were times when we went straight from the hotel bar to going live on air.
‘Everyone in children’s TV drinks until 5am. If you mess up, no one cares. It got a bit too wild when my breast popped out of my dress.
The show was axed in July that year and Holly went on to present the CD UK and then she made her Dancing on Ice debut alongside former TV husband Philip Schofield in 2006.
Phil and Holly’s chemistry was a hit and after a few stints presenting an X-Factor spin-off and Celebrity Juice, Holly finally joined Phil on the This Morning sofa for a 14-year career there.
Meanwhile, Stephen was off presenting other ITV shows including Britain’s Got More Talent, the game show Catchphrase from 2013 and last year’s revival of Deal Or No Deal.
To mark the monumental occasion, Stephen posted a video on his Instagram of their first-ever episode together in which contestants had to catapult cream pies using a skateboard
He wrote: ‘Unbelievably, the first ever Ministry of Mayhem aired 20 years ago today! I loved the years doing this with Holly Willoughby! We’ll be back on our screens this Sunday, live at 6:30pm, doing something just as slippy… #DancingOnIce’
Both began their on-screen careers on ITV ’s Children’s channels which launched their long and celebrated journeys as British television presenters
Ministry of Mayhem was renamed Holly and Stephens Saturday Showdown when it returned after the Christmas break in 2006 – Holly was 25 and Stephen was 29
In a clip that went viral, the pair kissed a total of five times in one episode under the mistletoe and Holly reflected on her time in Kid’s TV in 2019: ‘There were times when we went straight from the hotel bar to going live on air (pictured in 2005)
The show was axed in July that year and Holly went on to present the CD UK and then she made her Dancing on Ice debut alongside former TV husband Philip Schofield in 2006 (pictured together in March 2023)
Stephen has briefly reunited with Holly, who he describes as a ‘proper mate’ on a few occasions including standing in for Phil during 2022’s Dancing on Ice when the now disgraced former presenter had Covid
Stephen has briefly reunited with Holly, who he describes as a ‘proper mate’ on a few occasions including standing in for Phil during 2022’s Dancing on Ice when the now disgraced former presenter had Covid.
While Stephen’s appearance was a one-off, Holly has been in the role for the majority of the show’s existence.
Holly co-hosted the show with Phillip from its inception in 2006 until 2011.
Christine Lampard then replaced Holly for the next three series until the show ended in 2014, but she returned for its 2018 revival and has remained in post ever since.
Stephen soon emerged as the favourite to take over as her co-host following Schofield’s sacking, saying that it would be ‘amazing’ to do so.
His predecessor was axed after admitting to lying about a romantic relationship with a younger former colleague.