Stephen Mulhern dealt career blow as ITV ‘shelves’ beloved game show leaving fans gutted

Fans are not happy…

It’s not the news fans were hoping for – ITV has officially confirmed there are no plans to bring back Stephen Mulhern’s You Bet! for another series.

The reboot of the ’90s cult favourite returned to screens in 2024, with Stephen Mulhern and Holly Willoughby at the helm. While Holly did not return to co-host You Bet! On Tour, Stephen continued fronting the show.

Now, though, ITV has confirmed another series is not on the cards.

Holly and Stephen on You BetStephen co-hosted the show with Holly in the first series (Credit: ITV)

ITV confirms no plans for new Stephen Mulhern You Bet! series

When You Bet! was revived in 2024, it quickly found an audience. The first series performed strongly, leading to a follow-up run, You Bet! On Tour, which aired last year.

However, after reports in The Sun suggested the show wouldn’t be back, ITV has now confirmed the decision.

An ITV spokesperson said: “You Bet! returned to ITV in 2024 with a peak overnight audience of 4.4m. Both You Bet! and You Bet! On Tour are available to watch on ITVX.”

Despite those figures, the spokesperson added: “There are currently no plans for a new series of You Bet! On Tour.”

You Bet! host Stephen Mulhern celebrates a successful challengeThe show is not returning for a new series(Credit: ITV)

You Bet! fans left gutted

Unsurprisingly, the update has not gone down well with viewers. Many took to X to share their disappointment.

One wrote: “Shame. I actually enjoyed it but totally get why it detracted so many.”

Another, referencing fellow ITV gameshow Jeopardy!, which has also reportedly been shelved, commented: “Another ITV show axed! That’s 2 this week, going well I see.”

A third simply posted: “Nooooooo.”

While You Bet! may be off the schedule for now, Stephen certainly isn’t. The presenter continues to be a familiar face on ITV, fronting shows including Deal or No Deal and Catchphrase.

He also recently appeared alongside Ant & Dec in the travelogue Accidental Tourist. The one-hour programme saw the duo send their good friend Stephen to Korea for the first time, challenging him to face his fears.

From raw seafood and extreme acupuncture to a fishing trip with fearless freediving “mermaids” and even a naked Korean massage, Stephen was well and truly pushed out of his comfort zone.