Source: Star Magazine- 26th March Edition, Written by Louise Purser.
Stephen Mulhern: "David sends very,very rude texts to Simon!"
The presenter gives Star the Low-Down on Britain's Got More Talent.
Since 2007, Stephen Mulhern, 34, has been at the helm of BGT spin-off, Britain's Got More Talent. Like the main show's naughty little brother, it always seeks to have that extra bit of fun with the acts, as well as involve the hosts and judges in a bizarre range of backstage games.
And this year, BGT has seen its biggest shake up yet, with the return of Simon Cowell, while new faces David Walliams and former Strictly Come Dancing judge Alesha Dixon will also join original judge Amanda Holden on the panel.
Stephen assures us that everything is going to be just as manic and exciting though, and with the judges as keen as ever to get their views across and a whole host of new and bonkers acts to get through - we just can't wait for the first show!
Hey, Stephen! It's all go on BGT this year - how does it feel compared to last year?
You can't really compare it to last year because it feels like a totally different show, but in a good way. Simon said he wanted to come back on board to turn the show on its head.
It sounds like he's succeeded! What did you think about the changes to the judging panel?
When I heard about David and Alesha coming on board I honestly didn't know what to think!
How's Alesha settled in?
What's very apparent is that she seemed very restricted in what she could say on Strictly Come Dancing, but on BGT she hit the ground running - She doesn't hold back! She's quite direct and very firm, but also very fair.
How about David, what's he really like?
I can't work him out! He's a very funny guy, with the most beautiful wife [Lara Stone, the model]. She's come along to a couple of auditions.
She seems very quiet...
Yes, the polar opposite to him! He's the cheekiest person I've ever seen. I asked the judges to predict who would win, for us to reveal on the last day, and as Simon was writing his down, David got right up next to him - almost back to back - so I said: "You always like getting close to Simon" and Simon said, "Yes, you're absolutely right, Stevie, it's very uncomfortable!"
Maybe Simon loves it really?
Simon must enjoy David's humour because he lets him get away with it. David also likes sending very, very rude texts.
Can you tell us what they say?
No! He sends them and then afterwards he says: "Sorry, that was meant for Simon!"
How is Amanda after the trauma she suffered after giving birth?
She seems fine. It's good to have her back.
Have you met her baby daughter, Hollie?
I have, it was lovely to meet her.
Alesha says that Simon teases her...
He does - a lot! Whenever she makes a comment about a girl act he'll say: "Ooh, you're very catty today." And wierdly, he always asks her, 'Who's your dresser? Who's your stylist? Who's dressed you today?' as if she's wearing something strange.
What else has he been up to?
Once, the warm-up guy, Ian Royce, was introducing the presenters and judges as we do every day. He introduced Ant and Dec, then me, and normally he would then introduce the judges. This time though, the floor manager called him off stage and said: "Keep filling, Roycey, Simon's gone for a bath!" He had to fill for another hour!
Do you think the judges genuinely get on?
They disagree a lot, but i don't think it's personal. David can be very strong if he thinks someone should go through - he doesn't mind speaking his mind. And Simon's the strongest out of all of them in terms of what he wants.
Which acts should we look out for this year?
There's a guy who sings a song with very repetitive lyrics and, trust me, he'll be massive! When you hear it, you can't stop singing it. There's also a dance troupe set up by Twist and Pulse [from 2010] who are brilliant too.
What kind of backstage shenanigans do you have planned for this series?
For David, we've got 'Where's Walliams?' where we hide him in the audience. For Alesha we have 'So, So Scandalous', where she gives us a scandalous piece of information about another celebrity, and with Ant and Dec it's 'Pub Olympics' and they're very competitive, as always!
How about Simon?
Simon's been amazing this year and even bought me a gift - some fudge. I don't know where he bought it from, but it tasted horrible!
Catch Stephen on Britain's got More Talent, Saturdays on ITV2
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