Derek Acorah was Britain’s most colourful and entertaining psychic medium. CHRISTINE MILLER takes a look at his most entertaining moments.
The late Derek Acorah was undoubtedly Britain’s most famous psychic medium.
He divided opinion from the very outset among Most Haunted viewers, some believing in his paranormal experiences of mediumship and possession, while others remained deeply sceptical of his claims.
We may never truly know as, sadly, Acorah passed away earlier this year at the age of just 69.
Whatever your opinion of the man, it is hard to deny that he was entertaining and responsible for some of the most watched paranormal scenes of the last 20 years, and so here is a synopsis of the late medium’s most outrageous television moments.
Mary Loves Dick
On the lookout for the ghost of infamous highwayman Dick Turpin, the team conducted a three-night Most Haunted Live in 2003, ending up in The Spaniard’s Inn, where Turpin’s father was alleged to have been landlord.
In what would turn out to become one of the most famous episodes of Most Haunted, Derek passed on a special message from the spirit of a woman called Mary who “enters” him.
After seemingly becoming possessed Derek claimed “Mary loves Dick”. Over and over and over again.
Relive the moment here:
Derek Acorah and the Lamp Attack
In episode five of series four, the team travels to The Manor House Hotel in Ferryhill, where Derek terrifyingly becomes possessed by the spirit of a murderer.
While sitting quietly, Yvette begins to goad the spirit, prompting Derek to scream “CON. FRON. TATION!” while Yvette immediately flies to the other end of the room with an impressive speed.
Derek then picks up a lamp and launches it, before threatening the rest of the group with “I’ll slit you”.
When recovered Derek stated “He’s a bad one, he’s a bad one, he’s evil, he’s evil.”
Kreed Kafer
On location at Bodmin Gaol (Series 6, Episode 66) Derek became “possessed” by the spirit of the fictional South African prisoner Kreed Kafer.
Parapsychologist Dr Ciarán O’Keefe created the fictional character and passed the name to a crew member who would then walk Derek around the Gaol and drop the name in passing. The name was an anagram of Derek Faker.
The crew member told Acorah that the information he was being given was not to be used during filming as there was no sign of Kafer in the prison records.
It was thought that Derek might bring the name up during the séance or the Ouija board session, but much to O’Keefe and the team’s surprise, Derek actually appeared to become possessed by the fictional entity.
The resulting footage became one of the most controversial moments in Most Haunted history.
Yvette the Wench
In a 2004 three-night investigation of Most Haunted Live in Essex, a seemingly possessed Derek turned threatening towards host Yvette Fielding in The Thorn Hotel.
Derek appeared to be entered by the spirit of a man called Francis, who was reluctant to reveal his surname and disliked Fielding’s attempts to uncover it.
Screaming into her face “You’re a hussy” and “Take thy hand off me wench! I’ll scuttle your legs! See your breasts, wench”, Yvette firmly stands her ground as the verbal aggression continues. Derek is eventually led out of the room, kicking and screaming.
Even now, it makes for uncomfortable viewing.
Michael Jackson: The Live Séance
Acorah’s television work also extended beyond Most Haunted to a number of celebrity séances.
One of the most famous involved none other than the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson, whom Derek claimed to contact during a live televised séance.
The programme received largely negative reviews.
The séance is set in a house in Ireland where Jackson had previously stayed, with Derek and a group of die-hard Jackson fans sitting around a table with one of the late singer’s hats.
Derek soon announces, “he’s with me”, and asks what Jackson would like to say to the world. He replies with “say hi to Quincy (Jones) for me”.
You can view the first part of it here:
Whatever you thought of Derek Acorah’s abilities, there was no denying his impact on British paranormal television.
He was theatrical, unpredictable and enormously watchable, and moments like these helped make Most Haunted a television phenomenon.
