Stephen Mulhern is said to have been left “mortified” after tenants in one of his rental properties revealed they had been living with damp and mould for two years.
The 47-year-old host of ITV shows Catchphrase and Dancing On Ice boasts a £4m property empire, including a bungalow in the Glen Parva area of Leicester which was purchased in April 2020 for £165,000.
Pictures obtained by The Big Issue show that walls inside the property are covered in damp and mould throughout.
The tenants - who pay £775 a month to rent the property - claim they've repeatedly complained to the management agent, Connells, about the issues, but that the problem still remains and has led to the residents struggling with deteriorating health as a result.
One tenant, a key worker during the Covid-19 pandemic who did not wish to be identified, told the publication of their frustration over the situation, saying: "We worked our butts off as key workers during Covid. Who tunes in to watch and support Stephen Mulhern while we're paying him rent to live in squalor?
"My housemate pointed out the damp issue during an annual inspection two or three years ago. The agent merely recommended that we ventilate properly and keep the house warm during the winter. We did, but the damp gradually worsened."
They told how they had bought a humidity meter for the property that showed moisture levels between 70 per cent and 80 percent and that convinced the management agency to install a positive input ventilation system, but this only alleviated the problem briefly.
TV star Mulhern has since spoken out and said that up until now he had been completely unaware of any issues as he hires an independent company who manages the property on his behalf.
He is said to be “mortified”, has apologised to the tenants and has “taken this matter into his own hands” to rectify.
A representative for Stephen Mulhern told The Standard: “Stephen was absolutely mortified to learn about this situation and the awful experience the tenant has faced which is clearly unacceptable. Stephen had not been made aware of any of these issues as he relies entirely on an independent company who manage the property on his behalf.
“Having not been aware of the issues until now, Stephen has taken this matter into his own hands immediately and has personally requested for a team of damp specialists to visit the property to make sure that the problems with the ventilation and mould are resolved as a matter of urgency.
“We have contacted the tenant to express sincere apologies for the distress and frustration the management of this matter has caused. This falls way below the standards Stephen expects and he is doing everything possible to remedy this ASAP, and this process is already underway.”
