How Stephen Mulhern was suspended from Magic Circle after becoming youngest ever member

Stephen Mulhern now boasts a prestigious aged 44, with a string of high-profile titles under his belt making his one of the most recognisable faces in British telly.

But it wasn't always such smooth sailing for the charming presenter.

Famed magic organisation, The Magic Circle, broke with tradition and allowed a 17-year-old Stephen into their ranks, so impressed had they been with his aptitude on the stage.

The organisation ordinarily only allowed him in after his eighteenth, but Stephen was permitted as its youngest ever member - a stat that remains to this day.

But despite this sudden and dramatic rise in prestige for Stephen in the world of performative magic, he broke one of The Magic Circle's most sacredly kept rules - don't tell anyone how you did it.

Stephen was suspended from The Magic Circle as a teenager after revealing the secret to a trick (Getty Images)

Not only did he reveal how he had performed a card trick - he did it on national television.

In fairness to Stephen, by his reckoning if the kids watching never learned how tricks were performed in the first place, they would never be inspired to take it up themselves and carry on the craft.

He explained in 2015: "I was doing a kids TV show called 'Finger Tips' with Fearne Cotton.

Stephen was the youngest ever member - but was suspended for breaking a key rule (WireImage)

"I think if you don't show kids how to do a trick then you'll never get a new breed of magicians, so I suggested we teach a new trick on the show.

"The trick was to put a box on your head and turn this ratchet so it looks like your head is spinning, so I did it on Fearne, and then showed them how to make it.

"Well, The Magic Circle deemed it too good to reveal, so they suspended me."

Thankfully, the organisation were in a forgiving mood and his membership was reinstated.

Stephen has worked with Holly Willoughby, as well as a string of other big names (Getty Images)

The only problem being that the network had syndicated the show, meaning it was broadcast again on repeat.

"I got back into The Magic Circle, but CITV started repeating the show," Stephen laughed to heat magazine.

"Every time they repeat it, I get suspended. I'm suspended [at the moment]. It's ridiculous. You couldn't write it."

Stephen is best known these days for his antics on Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway (ITV)

Yesterday marked Stephen's 44th birthday.

Over the years he's carved out an impressive TV career, and is perhaps best known these days for his antics with Ant and Dec on Saturday Night Takeaway.

He's also been the face of Catchphrase, Saturday Showdown with Holly Willoughby, and a Dancing On Ice spin-off show.