Yvette Fielding has encountered more ghosts than most of us have had hot dinners, so it's no surprise she already has plans for her afterlife. “I’m going to come back as a ghost and haunt the life out of whoever’s in 10 Downing Street,” laughs the Most Haunted presenter, famed for her spine-chilling screams. “I’ll write ‘Get out!’ on the mirrors and scare the crap out of them.”
The presenter, 56, has been the go-to ghost-hunting guru ever since her show Most Haunted aired in 2002 - but her first encounter with the paranormal actually happened far before the cameras started rolling. At 26, she woke one night at her mother’s house to find herself staring at the ghost of a World War II soldier. “He was at the foot of the bed, but only from the waist up, just staring at me,” recalls Yvette, who is speaking to the Mirror on call from her haunted Cheshire mansion. “I screamed and ran straight into bed with my mum, hiding under the duvet. I later spoke to the neighbours and they had seen him too.”
That experience ignited a fascination with the unexplained, and seven years later, Yvette and her husband Karl Beattie transformed it into the phenomenon that became Most Haunted, which ran until 2019. Armed often with just a flashlight, she became known for her high-pitched shrieks as cupboard doors slammed shut and objects flew across rooms in some of the country’s most haunted sites.
Over the years viewers have been transfixed as they watched her be locked in a room by a ghost, get physically assaulted and even temporarily possessed. But the presenter maintains many of her interactions have also been positive. “I have had some wonderful and thought-provoking experiences, and messages from beyond the grave which tells us what life after death is like,” she muses.
Image:
UKTV)The star is currently touring a stage show version - Most Haunted Live - and publishes new episodes on YouTube. But while she has proved herself as a successful presenter and businesswoman, she is yet to convince many naysayers about the existence of ghosts. “Nothing is fake!” she asserts. “We experience amazing phenomena, like tapping and knocking, and we often receive names, dates, and messages from spirits. Science should be taking this seriously and that they are not.”
Yvette communicates with the dead regularly on camera, as well as privately. She often connects with her father, who passed away 15 years ago from a heart attack, through tapping sounds. “When Covid happened, I was really upset and couldn’t stop crying. My dad came through and tapped out a message: ‘Please don’t cry. Everything will be alright. I’m with you always.’ It took my breath away. I ask him for advice sometimes and he gives it to me.”
Image:
Most Haunted Official)Family is everything to Yvette, and her two children, Mary, 25, and William, 30, share her love for the paranormal. “They were very interested in it growing up,” she explains. “Both ended up appearing on the show.” Mary has been a frequent presence on Most Haunted, and Yvette believes her legacy could one day be passed on. “She’s a medic in the RAF — an incredibly brave woman and hard as nails. The fans absolutely loved her, so if she ever leaves the RAF and Most Haunted was to carry on she would take over from me.”
Unlike her kids, Yvette's first foray into television was without a parent by her side. She first shot to fame as the youngest-ever presenter of Blue Peter at just 18, and has openly discussed troubling experiences while working on the BBC show, including being groped by Rolf Harris and being left alone with Jimmy Savile, who stroked her hand and told her to “look into my eyes”.
If she could offer advice to young girls starting out in television, it would be to establish a strong support network. “Don’t go to London alone, wide-eyed and unprepared. Surround yourself with people who love and care for you, at least for the first six months to a year,” she advises. “Get to know people your parents trust. You have to be so careful now, more than ever.”
Image:
BBC)Although Blue Peter was a significant breakthrough for Yvette, she describes her period on the show — running from 1987 to 1992 — as “a sad but also a very interesting time”. She faced bullying from the show's boss, Biddy Baxter, now 91. Yvette alleges Biddy would summon her into an office and berate her, calling her “fat” and “useless”. When contacted, Biddy declined to comment on Yvette’s allegations.
While those experiences often left her in tears, Yvette believes they ultimately taught her how to be a good boss on her own show. “The bullying was tough and horrible, but it gave me balls of steel,” she reflects. “I think it gave me the confidence in the early 2000s to be able to go into board meetings and hold my own, and especially board meetings that are full of men in suits.”
Although her job may require her to be brave, her main focus outside of that is spreading kindness. “I love approaching strangers with bunches of flowers and seeing the look of wonder on their faces,” she says. “Watching someone who seems down suddenly smile is incredibly rewarding. If we all spread a little more positivity, I truly believe it would make a difference.”
“I’m not afraid of dying,” she reflects. “I can’t wait to reunite with my dad and other family members. We need to stop fearing death — it’s a transition to a beautiful place where we’ll be with our loved ones again.” However, whoever is in 10 Downing Street when Yvette passes might want to be on edge, because this TV star still plans on popping by…
Seven signs your house is haunted, and what do about it
As Halloween is looming closer, Yvette Fielding has partnered with video doorbell company Ring in a quest to find Britain's most haunted house,. A quarter (26%) of Brits have either thought, or are currently convinced, they’re living in a haunted house. But how can you know? From moving objects to unnerving sounds, Yvette shares the seven signs that your house might be haunted — and what you can do if you suspect you’re not alone...
Doorbell Ringing
“One of the first and most common signs is knocking at the door or the ringing of the bell. You go to answer, and nobody’s there. This can happen at any time of day, even in the middle of the night.”Hearing Footsteps
“Another classic sign is hearing strange footsteps when nobody else is home. You might hear footsteps upstairs or around your house, even though you're completely alone.”Hearing Disembodied Voices
“A personal experience of mine: I was home alone and heard my daughter’s voice calling ‘Mummy.’ I knew no one else was in the house, and it made me stop in my tracks.”Pools of Water
“Sometimes, unexplained pools of water appear on the floor. It’s not a leak or a spill, just water in the middle of the floor, with no explanation.”Objects Moving or Disappearing
“You might notice objects—like your jewellery or car keys—disappearing, only to reappear in strange places, like the middle of the floor or table. And you know you’ve already checked there multiple times.”Unanswered Phone Calls
“This can happen with old-fashioned home phones. The phone rings, but when you pick up, there’s nobody there. People have even reported receiving mysterious texts from deceased loved ones.”Tapping Sounds
“Tapping is another common sign, especially coming from different parts of the house without any obvious source.”
Yvette advises that the best way to get rid of an unwanted spirit is to simply ask. “Nine out of ten times, if you show respect, they will leave,” she says. “The best approach is to talk out loud. Say something like, ‘Please don’t scare me or my family. You’re frightening us, and I don’t like it. If it continues, I’ll have to ask for help to ask you to leave. Please respect our family.’”
English (US) ·