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As I write this it is the 27th March 2020, the world is on lock down, due to a world wide pandemic. Thousands of people are dead due to the Covid-19 Coronavirus outbreak, the streets are empty, it literally feels like we are living in a post apocalyptic world, people in massive queues to get bread and toilet tissue, people scared to even get close to each other in fear of catching this deadly disease. But with all that happening I have decided to do something even worse! I have decided to review another classic episode of Most Haunted.
I have also stuck to my promise that I would not review any of the new Most Haunted stuff unless it got over 100,000 views, their new stuff at most is getting between 10,000 to 15,000 views, which is hardly surprising.
We travel back in time to Series 1 Episode 5 (25th June 2002) Leap Castle, Coolderry, County Offaly, Ireland. A time when bog rolls were aplenty, brand name bread cost just 50p a loaf, and Karl Beattie still had his original hair, long before the transplant. So with that, let's take a look at the blurb.
This is the first episode of Most Haunted I will have reviewed since the death of Derek Acorah, it will be interesting to watch him, back in his prime.
This episode is one of the Most Haunted Unseen episodes, I don't recall exactly what that meant, I assume it just meant it had a few extra scenes thrown in? I grabbed it off youtube, so what can you do.
We start off with Yvette and for some reason she seems really aggressive in her intro, I am guessing she was trying to get across how scary and dangerous this place was.
Many a cow had to die for that long leather coat.
She tells us that the castle is home to a "half-man, half-animal elemental" ghost. I hope Derek Acorah gets possessed by this. I wonder if in the afterlife Derek has met up with all these ghosts who possessed him? Even the famous monkey from episode 1 I think it was? That would be interesting to see.
Now although Yvette Fielding does look fetching in her red leather trousers, as a vegan I cannot approve.
She sits down with actor Jason Karl who is playing the part of a parapsychologist to talk about the castle. Worth noting that despite being an employed actor playing the part of a parapsychologist, I give him credit as being one of the more skeptical people who played this part, and as such was many times more credible than those who followed him. And in case you didn't know, he was only fired from the show, because he became too popular with the viewers. Remember this whole show was supposed to be a vehicle to relaunch Yvette's career. As history now tells us that failed and Derek Acorah quickly became the true star of the show.
Jason explains how the elemental ghost is created by negative energy. He also talks about these "coil" types of energy that only appear in photographs, as always a real skeptic knows the cause of such "manifestations" are usually a hair near the lens, or the camera strap hanging down, funny how these images pretty much disappeared from the genre as cameras on Smartphones became more prevalent and of higher quality.
Yvette tells us how she is scared for the arrival of Derek Acorah who apparently has "no idea about Leap Castle at all", well that's 4 minutes in and we get our first direct lie. Derek worked as a spiritualist medium, the idea that he would have "no idea" about Leap Castle is ridiculous. It was his job, it was his life. He knew.
We then get an interview with Sean Ryan the owner of the castle, and boy is this a treat, he is like the character Ted from The Fast Show.
Sean does a decent job "selling" his tourist attraction. We also get a quick piece to camera from a small child.
Now to make you feel old, she is nearly 30 years old now! And has had a career as a professional dancer and teacher. A seven times provincial champion and a top 10 World championship medal holder for eight consecutive years!
You could argue that she has had a more successful career after appearing on Most Haunted than Yvette Fielding has, after all Ciera only appears once on the show, and Yvette is still trying to make a living from pretending to see ghosts.
Ok I have lost my train of thought now, yes we were watching a program about fake ghosts.
We see some footage from Karl's camera, he is filming in the day, worth noting Yvette calls him "our producer Karl". He films a burning fire from afar. This is something that any good ghost hunter should do more often, just film a fire burning, with a bit of luck you will get at least a single frame of something in the fire that looks like a face, purely a pareidolia effect, but it would look great for your gullible fans.
Completely pointless segment and totally understandable why this got cut from the original airing.
Yvette is still wondering around doing pieces to camera, great to see them do some effort with production too, some nice shots with candles burning and so on.
Jason Karl announces that the battery in his camera has gone dead. He also clearly states that he has been using it all day. That's how batteries work mate, you charge them, you use them, they go dead. To try an make this some kind of paranormal event is ridiculous and just shows a total lack of intelligence, but then again it could also be that you are doing it deliberately as part of your "gas lighting" of the audience.
Rick Fielding of the Fielding family claims he has heard a whisper noise in his ear. Jason Karl then pulls out an EMF meter and says there is a high reading right where they are, the fact he is surrounded by people holding electrical equipment all giving off electromagnetic fields seems beyond him.
15 minutes in and the investigation proper finally starts, Derek has now appeared.
Derek looking smart gets straight into his act as they go up some stairs, and he claims he can see a figure, and is very descriptive of her.
I really had forgotten how good Derek was at describing made up ghosts. But there is also the problem that everything he says just sounds like innuendo.
Derek is now describing the ghost as not just spirit but as inter dimensional, whatever that is supposed to mean. The ghost is changing shape, so it's an inter-dimensional, shape shifting being. We then hear the owner of the Castle off camera getting a bit nervous and warning Derek about the elemental spirit.
Derek then comes up with the name "Sir Henry Darby", an on screen graphic confirms the name and that he was born at Leap Castle in 1749 and served as an Admiral in the British Navy.
The funny thing is that back in the day, when this show would air, you would have the believers quickly declaring that this was proof that Derek was legit, and you had skeptics quickly checking the internet to see how easy such information could be found out, and then the battle between the two opposing groups. I took part in such battles, and I am a bit embarrassed that I did now. It so obviously faked, and although I knew it was faked, I spent way too much time proving it was all fake. I was one of those skeptics.
If this was to air today, many many less people would believe in Derek as they did in the past, and only the hardcore would really get into arguments trying to prove it all one way or another. I think it is partly a shame that both believers and skeptics got so annoyed with each other, when realistically Derek was just playing the part of a character on a TV show, no different to Jason Karl playing the part of parapsychologist.
But we did take it all too seriously back in the day, non more so than me.
Now when I see him come up with a name, I really have no interest to check if it's a real name or not, or how easy it is to research, it really doesn't matter.
This guy starts talking about how some batteries are running down and how there was some audio issues, of course the presumption is that this is caused by the ghosties.
Derek has found a small room, which has a ghost monk in it. Derek is in full "Degsie Mode" here. Of course what he is saying matches up to some Monk who was at the castle hundreds of years ago.
Worth noting here how they regularly seem to switch from a black and white filter to REAL night vision mode.
Great way to spot night vision is the eyes.
Of course it is completely pointless as the area is well lit, there are candles lit everywhere, a big roaring fire. It is not dark in any way, so this is purely a production choice to make things seem more spooky.
Karl is with Rick and is desperately trying to get him to have a seance. Rick is not interested though.
We then get an "orb". I had forgotten about them, boy did they go on about them a lot back in the day.
Yvette does her best Blair Witch Project shot, but the problem is that in the Blair Witch Project, it was done with full colour.
We then get another orb shot, Yvette proudly declares on voice over that Orbs are the first signs of a ghost manifestation.
Karl and Rick are doing their seance stuff, but it comes across more as just two nervous blokes having a laugh on camera, which ironically is exactly what they were.
Yvette is now pretending to cry as a ghost is nearby, putting her trained actress skills to full use there.
Remember when Yvette pretended that Harry Styles tried to seduce her when he was 16? About as likely as Karl claiming to be the worlds last samurai.
I've started to get bored now, not enough Derek. Need a good possession to get me interested again.
Come on Degsie, you can do it.
Yvette is with Stuart, and Stuart closes a door and Yvette has a break down and starts crying because she is so scared. All very pathetic and over acted.
Karl is with Marcel, whoever that is.
Derek has seemingly disappeared as Karl heads off to the cellar.
And is filming orbs. I will not even waste my time explaining them, if you don't know by now what they are you never will.
The investigation ends, and we get the post investigation comments. I wonder if Derek went home early on the night after he did his little spot? Also in the post investigation comments, Jason Karl reveals that he told ALL of the crew where they were going before the investigation and wonders if the expectations of phenomena and that auto suggestion might have had an effect on people.
Jason Karl then summarises all of the nights events, and gives a skeptical opinion.
This shot of Derek really needs to be made into a meme.
Well the episode ends, and it was an ok episode, the lack of a possession by Derek really hurt the episode, and he hardly appeared in the episode. As such I can only score this a 3/10. Unlike the first few episodes of the season, this was definitely a filler episode.
Review by Jon Donnis
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Early this morning Gwen Acorah (Derek's wife) posted the following on Facebook.
"Farewell my love! I will miss you forever! I’m devastated to announce that my beloved husband Derek has passed away after a very brief illness. Thank you so much to everybody who has supported me - I can never thank you enough. To the vile couple who hounded him for responses to their ridiculous campaign whilst he was in Intensive Care in a coma, I hope you have the decency to hang your heads in shame. I have things to deal with now but I won’t forget nor will I forgive what you have done!"
I had spoken to Gwen a few days ago with regards to the article about the Sunday Mirror that I published. She informed me that Derek was very ill, and asked I keep it quiet as she didn't want the media finding out. I wont reveal any more of what she told me, as it has not been made public outside of what she said in her statement. I offered to remove the article about the Sunday Mirror straight away and she said I should keep it up, and she even retweeted it from Derek's twitter account. I just wanted to make that clear, since I am getting a lot of abuse right now.
I would like to start off by saying that without Derek Acorah there would be no Jon Donnis, there would be no BadPsychics.com, to say this site would not exist without Derek Acorah is no understatement.
Year after year we went after Derek, we attacked him, we would expose things he said and did, spend countless hours investigating him. We did not make his life easy. You would think Derek and Gwen would hate me for this. In fact they were only ever nice to me.
I would like to share one example of that. Many many years ago someone contacted Derek as they had found out my home address, my full details, they gave those details to Derek, perhaps in the hope he would send his lawyers after me, or worse. Instead what happened was Gwen contacted me on behalf of Derek and told me exactly what had happened, and that someone was trying to get them to go after me. Instead they did the opposite, and gave me the heads up. Derek never sent his lawyers after me, instead he was being a nice guy.
I never forgot that. Here is me thinking the guy is the literal Devil, he gets a chance to come after me, and instead he does the good guy thing.
Now I am sure there were times when Derek cursed my name, probably shouted about me, complained about me to Gwen, and he would have every right to, after all I was attacking his career, his living. But personally Derek and his wife were always good to me, undeservedly so I admit.
As the years passed I always kept in contact with them. And I was invited to a show Derek was doing in West Bromwich one year to come meet him and say hi. To say I was a tad suspicious and worried was an understatement, I half expected to either get beaten up, or handed legal papers, instead Derek was super polite, shook my hand, took a photo with me, and we chatted for a few minutes.
So here we are 2020, and Derek Acorah has "passed over".
Some people may think I would be happy about that, but the truth is I am sad, I am sad for Gwen and the whole family. Regardless of what I thought about Derek's professional life, personally he always treated me well and very fairly, anyone who knows me, knows how harsh and blunt I can be, yet Derek and Gwen were always just very nice to me.
Regardless of what anyone reading this thinks, understand that Derek was a huge part of my online life on BadPsychics. And on a personal level I will miss him.
I fear that much like when Colin Fry died, that we will now get an influx of fake psychics and mediums trying to use Derek's name to make money for themselves, claim that he is speaking through them, and so on, and when that happens (and it will happen) I will put a stop to that much like I did after Colin Fry passed.
As an entertainer Derek was Number 1 in his profession. No one ever really came close.
Without him, there would not have been a Most Haunted. There would be no Paranormal Investigation teams around the country.
And as the UK's Number 1 skeptic, I can only hope that Derek finds a way to haunt me.
Happy New Year! And with a new year, and new decade, I find that journalism in the UK has not changed, it is full of fake news, and hypocrites.
But before I start I want to make a few things very clear.
1. If something claims it is free, then YOU and YOUR data is the payment.
2. NEVER give your name, address, email or phone number to a psychic.
3. 100% of psychics/mediums fail 100% of the time when the chance to cheat is removed in credible tests. No exceptions, no anomalies.
Today (January 2nd 2020) I received an email from John Siddle a "journalist" from the Sunday Mirror.
Here is his email.
--- Hi Jon, I'm a reporter with the Sunday Mirror working on a piece about underhand practices by these so-called telly psychics. Wondered if I could have five minutes of your time. Is there a number I could get you on? Thanks very much, John Siddle
---
Now, you might think that I would jump at the chance of helping the media and getting my name in a paper read by millions. Unfortunately I have been burned so many times that I simply do not trust the media in any way or form.
Here was my reply.
---
Hi I would love to help you, I really would. Unfortunately your newspaper STOLE material from my site and never credited it me, even worse you called it "an exclusive" The journalist was Matt Roper and this happened a long time again. https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/most-haunted-exposed-fake-star-833433 Every single time i have helped journalists with an article they have screwed me over. EVERY SINGLE TIME. No exceptions. The Mirror a few times, the Sun, Observer, Independent, pretty much every tabloid out there. Either they have stole my work and not credited me, or they have lied about the nature of their article and ended up PROMOTING the very thing or person I exposed as a fraud. So please give me one good reason why I should help you? The media have a 100% record in screwing me over.
---
Clearly I am not one to hold a grudge.
Amazingly he replied and still asked for help.
---
Hi, sorry to hear about your bad experiences in the past. I don't want to force you to help, but if you want to, that'd be great. I'm just looking for a couple of paragraphs reaction to this story that we're running at the weekend... Telly psychics - including Derek Acorah - who are using automated bots to prey on social media users. People are being offered ‘free readings’ in exchange for liking their social media page/posts. Messages are then sent to users saying, for example: ‘Hi [NAME], I sense unexpected news in the New Year. Text Derek to 85*** £1 per message. Max 3’ Recipients say they have been hounded with hundreds of the messages over Facebook, with some saying they are feeling suicidal as a consequence. They include the mum of a teenager who died less than a year ago. If you can help great - but no worries if you don't want to. Thanks, John.
---
It seems like a good article for him to write, so why wouldn't I want to help him? Well I decided I WOULD help him, and give him a couple of paragraphs for him to publish. What do you think? Will he dare publish this?
---
Hi Ok here is my reaction. I doubt you will publish it, but lets see how brave you are. Or if you are a massive hypocrite.
"Derek Acorah is in the entertainment business, sadly he has seen that his touring work has slowed down
and as such he has moved into the online market more and more. Derek Acorah simply sells his name to these
companies who then use his fame as part of this robocall business. Derek has little to no technological knowledge
he is not behind this, he is just taking a paycheck to promote something.
The Mirror does the exact same thing when they have horoscopes printed by Russell Grant, it is the exact same scam.
You get people on a free reading and then link them to expensive phone charges, private readings and so on. Sadly as
long as the media, and that includes The Mirror, promotes these kinds of charlatans, then there will always be a steady
stream of victims to be taken advantage of."
Credit: Jon Donnis - BadPsychics.com
---
Now, the reason I have written this article and published my response, is because I highly doubt that John Siddle will ever print it. He will never admit that the newspaper he writes for, profits from the exact same thing he is attacking Derek Acorah for. I expect he may even cancel the article about Acorah after reading this.
So lets take a look at The Mirror.
They have Russell Grant offer "free" horoscopes. Whereby they also offer a free newsletter. First of all this is data collection, have no doubt about that, you give them your email, you can expect to receive more than just some nonsense horoscope. Remember what I said at the start of this article, "If something claims it is free, then YOU and YOUR data is the payment."
Under the Horoscopes on the Mirror they have links to Russel's site.
Notice how many times the word "FREE" is used.
Yet once you go to Russel Grant's site, everything costs.
YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE! For just £29.95
Or how about "Email a Psychic"?
Ask a Short question for £13.95
Ask a Long question for £29.95
All money!
I could go through his whole site and give examples, the point is, is this any worse than what Derek Acorah is doing?
It is all a scam. It is all about getting money from gullible vulnerable people.
They collect your data through your email address, or through your phone number, and then they keep spamming you.
My advice is do NOT give you email, your name, your phone number or anything to a psychic, an astrologer, a mystic. And if you do, do not complain when you start getting spammed by robocalls and automated bots.
And my message to John Siddel at The Sunday Mirror, before attacking others, perhaps you should look at your own employers, for they are profiting from the very thing you are claiming to expose.
I have contacted Derek Acorah for comment on this article and his involvement with Robocalls, and when I get a reply I will update this article.
The world of supernatural phenomena is still unexplained today. What’s also unexplained is how some people are good at certain things. For example, poker players. Were they born with the skill of being good with cards or did they spend a lot of time learning those skills? Or did they have some kind of special aid? I have known of some poker players who claim to have psychic powers.
People who claim psychic powers exist today and the opinion about them is a dubious one and for good reason, in credible scientific tests, psychics fail 100% of the time, no exceptions. Some people claim that they’re just charlatans while others wholeheartedly believe in their powers. Nevertheless, having a psychic power would surely prove useful in a game of poker. Having telepathy at your disposal will let you know which cards opponents have but having clairvoyance will let you know which cards are going to be dealt. Having either of these powers would make you a poker god and you’ll never lose a game.
You could just go to any online casino and play any variant of poker and win effortlessly. You would do the most damage in a live poker game. Also, you could try out a scam site just so you could beat them before you check out the official website of a high-ranking casino.
Doyle Brunson was one heck of a poker player and he has stated that he believes in the existence of psychic powers. According to Sunil Padiyar, every person has a field of energy that envelopes that person. If that energy is activated then it could bring a lot of luck to that person and amplify intuition and foresight. As a person who’s written a lot on this subject, she certainly makes the case believable, if you have never investigated such things, and were to believe things at face value. Also, many universities have conducted studies to find out if there is any scientific backing to the theory of ESP and telekinesis. Despite their effort, there is hardly any evidence to support the claim. As I said earlier, 100% of psychics fail in credible tests when the chance to cheat is removed.
The rational explanation for this phenomenon would be in the subconscious. A lot of people watch all kinds of movies, TV shows, and fake documentaries so they might get the impression that a certain house is haunted or that someone has the power to move objects with their mind.
The subconscious is linked to intuition which is why some poker players have claimed to be psychics. A factor that influences their abilities would be the long years of practice they’ve had in poker. If they were professionals then they practiced shuffling decks and remembering the different variants of cards that could be dealt. Maybe they also learned how to assert dominance over their opponent and in that way influence their play.
The point is that there could be a rational explanation for all this, but people still believe in the existence of these powers.
Either way, hypothetically speaking a psychic would be a great poker player, but even if real, would you ever really admit it?
