Stephen Mulhern looked out for cops for ‘Del Boy’ dad on market stall

Stephen Mulhern spent his youth “looking out for the police” for his market seller father.

The ‘Catchphrase’ host, 47, revealed he and his brothers would be kept on watch for his trader dad on the streets of London, and likened himself and his father to ‘Only Fools and Horses’ wheeler-dealer Derek ‘Del Boy’ Trotter and his younger brother Rodney.

He told The Sunday Times: “My dad was a flypitcher on Petticoat Lane in east London. If you’re not sure what a flypitcher is, my dad was Del Boy from ‘Only Fools and Horses’ and I was Rodney.

“Crack of dawn, dad was out there selling novelty toys or them slice-and-dice vegetable choppers – me and my brothers looking out for the police.

“Dad would let me have a go on the stall, and that’s where I learnt how to perform in front of the hardest kind of audience: real people.”

When he was aged 11, Stephen became infatuated by magic, and went on to become a Redcoat entertainer at Butlin’s six years later.

The ‘Deal or No Deal’ host insisted he “didn’t get into magic to be cool”, and was spurred on by his love for the hobby.

He added: “Magic is still a huge part of my life. I do a season at Butlin’s every summer, honing my magic skills. Even if I’m going shopping, I’ll have a pack of cards in my pocket. And if someone stops for a chat or a selfie I’ll try out a new trick.

“What with your David Blaines and your Dynamos, magic has acquired a certain amount of cool. But I didn’t get into magic to be cool, I did it because I loved it.

“Other kids watched ‘Match of the Day’ and got into football, I watched Paul Daniels and decided to learn magic. And it was the magic that led me to be a Redcoat at Butlin’s. It gave me a career.”