Derek Acorah

Derek Acorah (1950–2020), born Derek Francis Johnson, was a British TV actor taking the role of a psychic medium, most notably on the television series Most Haunted. He had also done other shows including Predictions with Derek Acorah and Derek Acorah's Ghost Towns[1] and performed a stage act.

Putting the psycho in
Parapsychology
Men who stare at goats
By the powers of tinfoil
v - t - e

Highlights
  • Acorah was a staple of the television comedy show Most Haunted from 2002–2014. The show featured Acorah, co-star Yvette Fielding, and several other geniuses stumbling around in old buildings with infrared video cameras looking for ghosts, during which Acorah would inevitably pretend to communicate with spirits. One memorable episode featured Acorah supposedly passing on a message from a deceased young woman: "Mary loves Dick".[2] In a later episode, Acorah was busted pretending to be possessed by the spirit of a fictional character made up by a fellow cast member.[3]
  • In 2010 Acorah's Michael Jackson: The Live Seance was voted the worst television program of the year.[4] If he could predict these results, why attempt to make it?
  • In 2012 Acorah claimed to have gotten news from his 'spirit guide' that missing child Madeleine McCann had died some time ago, but would soon be reincarnated. McCann's parents were reportedly "sickened" by Acorah's claim.[5]

Didn't see that coming

Acorah's driving license was revoked for 28 months after the car he was driving struck another motorist's, causing the driver to have whiplash.[6]

The "should have known this was going to happen" joke was wheeled out again in March 2017 when a stage appearance was cancelled at the last minute by Acorah when he wasn't paid the fee he expected, and turned into a near-riot.[7]

Acorah's show Most Haunted has been the subject of many complaints to broadcasting watchdogs. In 2005 viewers complained that the show was deceiving viewers by claiming the paranormal was real. However TV watchdog Ofcom ruled that the show was not to be taken seriously, finding it went "beyond what we believe to be a generally accepted understanding of what comprises a legitimate investigation" and "should be taken to be a programme produced for entertainment purposes".[8] In 2013 a complaint was upheld for scaring children.[9]

gollark: That sounds unpleasant.
gollark: Though I think theirs is compiled from non-hundred-thousand line files.
gollark: I mean, SQLite does that and it works for *them*, but it also means they have a hundred thousand line C file.
gollark: ÆÆÆÆÆÆÆÆÆÆÆÆÆÆÆÆÆ
gollark: This is important because having to do everything yourself is uncool.

See also

References
  1. Derek Acorah's Ghost Towns, Radio Times
  2. Derek Acorah Mary Loves Dick YouTube
  3. Spooky Truth: TV's Most Haunted Con Exposed The Daily Mirror. 28 October 2005
  4. Michael Jackson: The Live Seance voted worst television programme The Daily Telegraph, January 2010
  5. TV psychic Derek Acorah apologises for 'Maddie is dead' claim The Daily Telegraph, May 2012
  6. Derek Acorah banned from driving after Southport crash BBC News, March 2014
  7. Police called to calm angry fans after TV psychic Derek Acorah cancels gig last minute, The Sun, 27 March 2017
  8. Ghost show cleared of deception, BBC News, 5 Dec 2005
  9. Ofcom Broadcast Bulletin, Ofcom (UK), Issue number 226, 18 March 2013
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